


Firefly

by TheRedR0bin



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, POV Alternating, POV Third Person, Parenthood, Raising a Child, Rating May Change, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:35:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25900684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedR0bin/pseuds/TheRedR0bin
Summary: When a new life is thrust upon them, Naruto and Sasuke find themselves working together to overcome its many challenges. Along with these challenges comes new beginnings and new discoveries.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 58
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shira_Taka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shira_Taka/gifts).



> Happy Happy Happy Birthday to the wonderful [Shira_Taka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shira_Taka/pseuds/Shira_Taka) !  
> Here's a little something special for you. It's not complete yet, but I wanted to at least get the first part out on your birthday. Hopefully, I can get the next part up by the following week. ^^  
> I've always admired your writing and you've been such a great inspiration to me. I really hope you like this piece.  
> <3 <3 <3

_It’s happening._

Sasuke stared at his phone unblinking for what felt like a whole of five minutes until the words finally registered. ‘Shit!’ he shouted, to no one in particular, before leaping out of his chair and grabbing his coat. He bolted from the room, curtly instructing the programme secretary that he was taking an emergency leave of absence and rushed down to the parking lot.

Jumping into his car, he zoomed onto the main road, pushing as fast as he legally could without breaking any speed limits.

The hospital was at the other end of the city from the university where he worked, but luckily for him it was well past the after-lunch rush hour that there was little to no traffic on the road.

It took him a little over thirty minutes to arrive at his destination. Quickly pulling into the visitor’s parking lot, he made his way into the building, following the signs to where he was to go.

Spotting Naruto was easy; he would recognise that distinct shade of blond anywhere.

He was seated in the waiting area, twisting something that looked like a piece of paper between his fingers. It was a nervous tick the man had had since he was very young. From shredding bits of paper to picking away at labels—nothing was safe from Naruto’s hands when he was nervous. It reminded Sasuke of the time Naruto first told him about the baby.

≈

_‘So, um…’ Naruto mumbled, mangling the paper serviette in his hands before ripping it to shreds. ‘T—There’s something I need to tell you.’_

_Sasuke sat across the booth from him, wondering what was so urgent that he had to call Sasuke out from work. He watched the man carefully. His brow was furrowed and the usual glimmer in his blue eyes was absent. His lips looked chapped, like he had been biting at them through his agitation. Whatever was bothering Naruto was serious._

_Forcing his expression to remain neutral, Sasuke reached out and gently plucked the pieces of paper from Naruto’s hands. He replaced it with his own hand. Curling his fingers around Naruto’s clammy ones—his way of telling him that he was there, he was listening._

_Naruto took a deep breath. ‘Mei-chan, called earlier today,’ he began slowly. ‘Asked me to meet her here.’_

_Sasuke’s brow furrowed._

_What could she possibly want from Naruto? Certainly not to get back with him...They had been_ horrible _together. Constantly fighting and breaking up, only to get back together a week later and for the whole thing to repeat itself. This had lasted for nearly two years. Sasuke had_ hated _it._

_It was hard enough having to watch his best friend—the man he was hopelessly in love with—date other people...It was completely crushing to have to pick him back up each time he got his heartbroken when the relationships didn’t work out. After the most recent split with Mei, it had taken over three months, but Naruto seemed to have finally gotten over her._

_‘What did she want?’ Sasuke asked. He tried his best to keep the acid from his tone. It did not feel like he was very successful. ‘You’re not…?’ He gave Naruto a pointed look._

_His friend quickly shook his head. ‘No, no, of course not. That ship’s sailed…’ He took a breath. ‘She—’ Naruto bit his lip, staring down at their entwined fingers. He gripped Sasuke’s hand tighter as if drawing strength from them. ‘...She’s...pregnant.’_

_Cold shards of ice pierced his chest; he struggled to breathe._

What?

_‘What?’ Sasuke croaked, throat gone dry._

_Naruto gave him a wry smile. ‘Yeah…’_

_‘That’s—’ Sasuke was at a loss for how to respond. ‘Are you...sure it’s yours?’_

_Naruto nodded. ‘She hasn’t been with anyone else since we split...so...yeah. It’s mine.’_

_After a moment, ‘Is she looking for child support?’ A thought occurred to him and the anger threatened to build. His eyes narrowed. ‘She’s not demanding you marry her, is she?’_

_‘No...It’s none of that…even though I offered to—’_

_‘You did what!’_

_‘It’s the right thing to do,’ Naruto tried to explain._

_Glaring at the table, Sasuke muttered under his breath, ‘Right thing for whom…’_

_‘Anyway, she—she doesn’t want to keep the baby.’ Naruto paused, looking lost. Sasuke met his eyes once again. ‘She wanted my...input on what we should do.’_

_‘We?’_

_‘Yeah. She asked if I wanted to give the baby up for adoption.’_

_Oh._

_‘...What did you say?’_

_Naruto’s eyes were trained on their hands, but Sasuke knew it was not what he_ was looking at _. ‘Nothing yet. I need time to think...I don’t exactly think I’m ready for a child...But Sasuke…’ He looked up, pleading. ‘…I never knew my parents…’_

_Sasuke’s heart ached. ‘Naruto…’_

_‘Just…’ He pulled one hand away to rub at his eye. ‘...The idea of a complete stranger raising my kid...I don’t—I never want them to grow up feeling like their parents didn’t want them...you know?’_

_Meeting those gorgeous blue eyes Sasuke so loved, he tried to convey his words. He needed him to understand. ‘Your parents wanted you, Naruto. It was an unfortunate accid—’_

_‘No. I_ know _that!’ Naruto interrupted before he could finish. He gave Sasuke a small smile before his expression turned sombre once more. ‘But this case...if we give this baby up for adoption, it’ll be like neither of us wanted—’ Naruto chewed his lip, unable to finish the sentence._

_Tightening his hold on Naruto’s hands, Sasuke said with a smile, ‘It sounds like you already know what you want to do.’ Naruto stared at him with wide eyes. He still looked unsure._

_‘But—what if I’m not what the baby needs...What if I can’t be the father they need me to be?’_

_‘Usuratonkachi,’ Sasuke began; the words he spoke next are what he believed with complete staunchness. ‘You are the kindest, most loving person I know. If anyone has the qualifications to be a good father, it’s you.’_

≈

Naruto looked up as Sasuke reached him. He stood immediately, dropping the paper in his hands in favour of gripping Sasuke’s shoulders and shaking him.

‘Sasukeeee…’ Naruto gurgled, teary-eyed and runny-nosed. ‘She’s—She’s—It’s been forty-five minutes already! Why is it taking so long? What if something’s wrong? What should I do?’

‘Tch. Idiot,’ Sasuke muttered with a soft smile. He pulled out his handkerchief from his trouser pocket and dabbed at the messy tears gathered on his friend’s cheeks. ‘Wipe your face first.’ Then held it over Naruto’s nose. ‘Blow,’ he instructed, chuckling when Naruto did so, _loudly_. Thankfully, they were the only two in the waiting room.

‘Thanks,’ Naruto mumbled, a little bit subdued.

‘Want to sit?’ Sasuke asked but instead of waiting for an answer, guided his friend back into his chair. He put the handkerchief away. ‘You need to breathe, Naruto...everything will be fine.’

Naruto stared at him, looking so hopeful. ‘How do you know?’

‘I don’t,’ said Sasuke. He gives him a pat on the shoulder. ‘But aren’t you the one always telling me to have faith?’

At that, a laugh sputtered out of Naruto. ‘...Yeah...heh…you’re right.’

‘As I always am.’

Naruto laughed outright then. ‘Shut up, bastard.’ He shoved Sasuke’s shoulder.

‘Have you eaten anything since breakfast?’ Sasuke inquired. Knowing Naruto, he probably hadn’t because he was preoccupied with one thing or another and then forgotten in his panic to get to the hospital.

As if on cue, a deep rumbly noise erupted from the depths of the man’s stomach. Naruto blushed.

‘I’ll go get you something from the cafeteria,’ Sasuke offered, trying not to laugh.

Naruto looked momentarily panicked. ‘You’re gonna leave me here?’

‘Relax, Usuratonkachi.’ Sasuke told him as he got to his feet. ‘I won’t be long.’ Digging through his pockets, he retrieved his pair of Bluetooth earphones—a gift from Naruto himself—and held them out for his friend. ‘Listen to some music until I get back.’ Naruto took them with a beholden smile.

On his way down to the cafeteria, Sasuke sent a quick text to Sakura and Gaara, letting them know where they were. He knew Naruto would not have remembered to let his other friends know in his panic. Sasuke was quite surprised he received that extremely vague message in text at all.

He didn’t waste time looking through the items available. Naruto needed something that was quick and easy to eat; he picked out a ham and cheese bagel and a fruit salad for him, grabbing two bottles of water as well, before paying and heading back upstairs.

Naruto had the earbuds in his ears, but his face morphed into one of relief when he saw Sasuke return. ‘Hi.’ He smiled when Sasuke sat down beside him. Taking one of the earbuds, he pressed it into Sasuke’s right ear. The song playing was “Somebody to Love” by Queen—one of Naruto’s favourites.

‘Eat,’ Sasuke said, partly peeling back the saran wrap from the bagel and holding it out for Naruto.

He didn’t take it right away. But instead, eyed the fruit cup. Typical. Sasuke smirked. ‘You can have that after you’ve eaten.’

Naruto pouted, but knew better than to make a fuss with Sasuke.

He accepted the offered food and took a bite. Small at first, before he realised how hungry he actually was and dug in. It was consumed in four bites. Before he even finished swallowing, he stuck his hand out asking for the fruit cup. Sasuke relinquished it with a smirk and a roll of his eyes.

Once all the food was eaten, the wrappers tossed out and each of them had drunk at least half of the water from their bottles, Naruto turned to face Sasuke. His nails picked at the label on his bottle.

‘Sasuke?’

‘Yeah?’

‘I’m really nervous.’

Reaching a hand out, Sasuke wrapped it around Naruto’s wrist. Naruto manoeuvred their hands so he could grip Sasuke’s in both of his. ‘I know…’

‘...Sasuke?’

‘Hm?’

‘Can I...hug you for a bit?’

‘Sur—’ Before the words were even out of his mouth, Naruto had turned and folded himself into Sasuke, burying his face into the crook of his neck. Sasuke tucked his arms around his best friend, hoping to put every ounce of comfort into it that he could give.

* * *

_‘You free on Saturday?’ Naruto asked, sticking his head into Sasuke’s room. The man was seated on the bed with a book in hand and his reading glasses on. The rest of the room was dark, the only light-sources were the wall sconce above the nightstand and the moonlight dappling in through the window that took up the entire wall to the left of the bed. It caused half of Sasuke to be bathed in the moon's silvery light and the other half of him awash in the warm yellow of the lamplight. Not that Sasuke needed any external help to be impossibly and utterly beautiful...it stunned Naruto, nonetheless._

_Black eyes regarded Naruto from behind the white frames. ‘If you’re asking me to go bar hopping with you and Kiba again, I’m going to say no. I had enough of that the last time.’_

_‘Ah, no. It’s nothing like that.’ Naruto laughed, inwardly cringing when it came out a little strained. He had something important he needed to discuss with Sasuke...something that he was admittedly nervous about. But there was no sense in putting it off._

_As if sensing Naruto’s anxiety, Sasuke’s entire demeanour shifted. He was like a cat; his spine straightened, eyes becoming more alert. Naruto could just picture the cat ears on top of Sasuke's head_ — _as soft as his hair_ — _twitching forward with interest. The mental image made him smile._

_‘What is it?’ Sasuke beckoned him forward to sit on the bed._

_Crossing his legs on top of the comforter, Naruto thought about how to begin. Book discarded on the nightstand, Sasuke patiently waited for him to speak. ‘I_ — _I think it’s time I moved out. Will you go check out a few apartments with me?’_

_‘...’ Sasuke blinked. ‘...Come again?’_

_‘...Will you go with me t_ — _’_

_Dark, slender brows knit together. ‘Why?’_

_‘Well, becau_ — _’_

_‘What’s wrong with this apartment?’_

_‘Nothing!’_

_‘You have a problem living with me?’_

_‘Of course not!’_

_‘Then, why_ — _’_

_Naruto slapped a hand over the man’s mouth. ‘If you shut up for a second, I’ll explain why.’_

_‘Tch,’ Sasuke grunted but gestured for Naruto to continue._

_Inhaling deeply, Naruto took his hand back before speaking. ‘In two months, I’m gonna have a kid...and well, they’re gonna need their own room.’_

_‘So?’ Sasuke asked, his eyebrow arched for emphasis._

_‘There isn’t another room here that can be turned into the baby’s room,’ Naruto elaborated. Sasuke was the smartest guy he knew, so it was confusing why he didn't seem to get it._

_‘Turn your room into the baby’s room.’ He worded it like it was the most obvious solution._

_Naruto frowned. ‘Um...then where will I sleep?’_

_Not missing a beat, ‘In here.’_

_He could not help but get more and more confused. What the hell was Sasuke even saying? ‘And where will you sleep?’_

_‘In here.’_

_Huh?_

_Exhaling softly, Sasuke explained, ‘This room is big enough for the both of us, this is a king-sized bed, and you spend a lot of nights in here anyway. It’s not going to make a big difference.’ He shrugged. ‘Plus, you’ll have plenty of help with the baby.’_

_‘Do you_ — _’ Naruto pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. ‘Do you have any idea what you’re suggesting...I_ — _brought this on myself. There’s no need for you to get tangled up in my mess…’_

_Sasuke gave him a small smile. ‘You’re an idiot, Naruto,’ he told him, and Naruto thought he should feel insulted. ‘Back in high school, when I was going through my own self-inflicted shit after my father died, you punched me and yelled about bonds and how my messes were yours, too.’ He reached out and rapped his knuckles into Naruto’s forehead. ‘You’re_ still _my closest friend, Usuratonkachi...I’m in this with you.’_

_Naruto touched the tips of his fingers to his forehead. Sasuke’s words had moved him; he was reminded again for quite possibly the millionth time how impossibly_ kind _his best friend was._

_...That was why...the idea of putting him through this didn’t sit right with Naruto, in spite of Sasuke’s words._

_‘What if,’ it hurt him to say, ‘you start_ — _dating someone?’_

_‘I’m not.’_

_‘Yeah...but what if you do?’_

_‘Let’s worry about that_ if _it happens,’ Sasuke said._

≈

Hugging Sasuke was always like recharging to Naruto. He couldn’t explain why. It just was.

Perhaps it was because they were never freely given. Sasuke had always been particular about the people who were allowed to touch him. Ever since he was a boy.

It had only gotten worse after the passing of his father. For most of his youth, Sasuke had worked endlessly to earn his father’s affections—which he never believed he had due to the amount of focus Fugaku had bestowed upon his eldest son.

Then came the accident on that wintery morning, when Fugaku, Mikoto, and thirteen-year-old Sasuke had been driving back from the main Uchiha house. The car skid on the sleet covered road, swerved into the bank, and crashed into a thicket of trees. His parents sustained most of the injuries. It put Mikoto into a year-long coma, but Fugaku hadn’t even lasted the week.

Before he passed, Naruto knew he’d spoken to Sasuke. But to this day, Sasuke had never divulged what his father’s last words to him were.

For years Sasuke blamed himself. ‘If it wasn’t for me, he would still be here,’ he had told Naruto on the day of his father’s funeral. ‘If I hadn’t insisted we return home that day…’

Sasuke changed that day. His insurmountable grief caused him to pull away from his friends, from his brother, from Naruto. He was quick to lose his temper. Even after his mother recovered a year after the crash, he continued on his destructive path, making some terrible life decisions. Decisions that would have cost him everything if Naruto hadn’t broken through his walls and punched sense into him.

Following that, he became a little more amicable—as much as _Sasuke_ could possibly be. Slowly, but steadily working his way to get better. He learned to ask for help, from those he considered closest to him, and to accept it when it was offered.

Naruto was proud and happy to see how far he’d come.

It was definitely a bonus that he was one of the two people—his mother being the other—whom Sasuke gave hugs to with little to no resistance. It still might not be as frequent as he preferred, but Naruto would take what he got.

With that thought in mind, Naruto snuggled further into Sasuke’s shoulder. Feeling some of the tension ebb away.

‘Uzumaki-san?’

He jerked slightly in surprise and pulled away to face the owner of the voice; a nurse dressed in pink scrubs with her mocha hair pulled back into a bun.

Naruto shot to his feet. ‘Th—That’s me.’ Beside him, Sasuke stood as well. He remained close; a warm and solid source of comfort.

She gave him a warm smile. ‘Would you like to see your daughter?’

‘It’s—It’s a girl?’ His voice quivered and he unconsciously grabbed hold of his friend’s wrist. Turning to him, he said again, ‘It’s a girl, Sasuke.’

‘Yeah,’ Sasuke replied. ‘Now, go. You don’t want to keep her waiting.’

‘Right,’ Naruto nodded. He felt frantic and found himself unable to let go of Sasuke’s hand. ‘Come with me?’ he asked.

Sasuke’s brows dipped. ‘I don’t think—’

‘Can he?’ Naruto directed his question to the nurse.

‘Well, of course, your partner can come.’

... _Partner_...Sasuke wasn’t...not in _that_ sense, but Naruto didn’t want to deny it for fear of having to leave Sasuke behind. So, he simply gave her a grateful smile and ignored the questioning look in his friend’s eyes as he dragged him along.

They were led past a pair of double doors to a separate room, where they were first provided with sanitary hospital robes to wear over their clothes. After which, they were taken into Mei’s private ward to see both the mother and the baby.

Mei’s mother had been with her during the birth and was still in the room with them. Naruto greeted her quickly before he checked up on Mei. 

‘Mei-chan, how are you doing?’ Naruto asked her. She looked exhausted, as expected, but lacked the glow of a new mother. 

She nodded and smiled, assuring him that she was fine. ‘Your daughter is here,’ she said, guiding his attention to the clear hospital cot at her bedside.

His stomach fluttered as he took tentative steps and carefully peered into the cot. There, swaddled in soft cream blankets, Naruto saw his daughter for the very first time.

‘Would you like to hold her?’ asked the nurse, startling him a little.

‘C—Can I? Really?’ The anxiety that had been crushing him all day, which had lessened considerably since Sasuke’s arrival, only returned tenfold when he witnessed the nurse gather the baby into her arms and hold her out to Naruto. He began to shake.

What if he dropped her?

What if he wasn’t cut out to be a father?

What if he couldn’t protect her?

What if—

A hand on the small of his back brought his attention to his friend standing beside him. Still there. As he always had been. As he always will be...It relaxed him.

Naruto accepted his daughter into his arms for the first time. Carefully he cradled her, with one hand under her small body while securing her head and neck with the other.

The emotion was instantaneous, flooding his senses as everyone else faded into the background.

She was...the most beautiful creature he ever beheld. 

Her skin was soft and rosy with a thick tuft of black hair. Her eyes were open and seemed to watch him with a curious blue gaze. 

_Eyes like mine._ Naruto realised.

He fell in love.

‘She’s _beautiful_ ,’ he whispered. ‘Look, Sasuke,’ he turned to show his friend, ‘She’s beautiful.’

Unable to take his eyes off her, he _heard_ the love in Sasuke’s voice when he responded. ‘She really is.’ 

‘Do you want to hold her?’ At that moment, Naruto would not have bequeathed his most precious possession to anyone. But Sasuke was the sole exception.

∞

_She’s so tiny_ , was all Naruto could think about as he once again cradled his now sleeping newborn daughter in his arms.

The requirement for the baby to remain in the hospital for twenty-four hours had been a little difficult for Naruto; he understood it was for her best interest, but he hadn’t wanted to leave her behind. She had already become so precious to him.

He found it just as difficult the next day because he had to return to work to settle last-minute details before he could take his paternity leave. But as soon as four o’clock came around he rushed out the door and headed straight to pick his daughter up. Not long after he arrived, Sasuke walked in carrying the small bag that contained everything they’d need to bring the little girl home. He had offered to stop by the house to pick it up when Naruto tried to take it to work with him. He had also brought Naruto a new change of clothes so that he wouldn’t have to carry his baby in his work-worn ones. Naruto loved that Sasuke thought of the little things.

He was so happy to see her still there, looking just as beautiful as when he first saw her.

The nurse had helped them change her into the baby clothes they brought for her—which still seemed much too big for her little body—and was now providing them with instructions on how to care for her. He tried to lend half an ear to them, but he found himself too preoccupied to concentrate properly. Luckily, he had Sasuke with him, who somehow knew all the right questions to ask and listened attentively to what she was saying.

‘Do you have a paediatrician in mind already?’

‘We do,’ Sasuke replied with a nod.

‘Alright then. Make sure to book her a check-up with them within three to five days,’ she advised, handing him a booklet. ‘This contains all the information about vaccines and other check-up schedules you might need to know. Of course, don’t hesitate to contact your paediatrician if you have further questions.’

‘Thank you.’

Sasuke turned to Naruto once she left them alone. ‘You didn’t get any of that, did you.’ It wasn’t a question and Naruto offered his friend an elvish grin.

‘It’s why I keep you around?’

Sasuke rolled his eyes. ‘Usuratonkachi.’ He picked up the baby bag he’d brought with him from the house and gestured to Naruto. ‘Shall we head home?’

‘Yeah,’ Naruto muttered, still unable to take his eyes off the bundle he was carrying. A thought occurred to him and his eyes widened because he only just remembered. ‘Sasuke...what about the car seat? How will we bring her home?’

A smirk tilted Sasuke’s mouth. ‘It’s all been arranged, idiot.’

Naruto gazed at his friend, starry-eyed. ‘Sasuke…’

‘Really, what would you do without me.’

* * *

_‘Are you sure about this?’_

_Sasuke resurfaced from the fridge, where he was picking out the vegetables for their dinner. He shot his brother a warning look, but it was too late._

_‘What do you mean, Itachi?’ asked their mother. She paused in her task of washing the rice._

_‘Nii-san…’_

_‘Sasuke,’ Itachi said, directing his disapproving expression towards Sasuke before turning his gaze to Mikoto, ‘has decided to raise Naruto’s child with him.’_

_‘Really?’ Mikoto looked at her youngest in earnest. Excitement glistened in her eyes. ‘You’re having a baby together?’_

_‘It’s not what you thi—’_

_‘Not_ together _,’ Itachi explained, cutting Sasuke off. ‘It’s_ Naruto’s _baby. Sasuke just thinks it’s a good idea to have him move into his room and for them to raise the kid despite being uninvolved.’_

_‘What do you mean?’ Their mother looked genuinely confused and Sasuke didn’t blame her. It would be terribly perplexing for anyone to grasp. But despite his feelings for Naruto—or maybe because of it—Sasuke would not abandon Naruto to face this on his own. No matter how his brother or mother might feel about it._

_This had not been how he planned to break the news to his mother, however. He glared at his meddlesome brother._

_Setting the dinner ingredients on the kitchen counter, he took a deep breath. ‘Naruto is having a baby,’ he began, while carefully watching for Mikoto’s reaction. ‘His ex found out she’s pregnant, but she doesn’t want to keep it...so she left the decision to him...Anyway, he planned to move out two weeks ago, to get his own place to raise the kid. But I told him not to.’_

_‘Why not?’_

_‘...Because he’s my friend,’ Sasuke said. ‘And I want to give him my support...He’s always given me his when I needed it...especially after Tou-san…’ he paused to take a breath. ‘He deserves this much, at least.’_

_‘Then, support him in other ways,’ Itachi interjected. ‘You’re offering to raise his child with him...Do you even realise what a responsibility that is?’_

_‘I don’t need you to tell me that, Nii-san. I_ know. _’_

_‘This doesn’t make you a couple—’_

_Sasuke bristled. ‘When did I—’_

_‘What if he starts dating again?’_

_‘That’s_ —’

_‘Itachi,’ their mother’s soft voice cut through their own that was steadily getting louder. Both men turned to look at her. ‘We’re out of eggs. Would you run out to the store and bring some?’_

_‘Please,’ she added when Itachi looked about to protest._

_With a sigh, he relented. He moved out of the kitchen quietly and Mikoto waited until they heard the definitive click of the front door closing before speaking._

_‘Are you sure this is what you want, Sasuke?’_

_Sasuke, who had been scowling at his feet, looked up in surprise. That was not what he expected his mother to say. ‘I am,’ he replies with certainty._

_She nodded. ‘It’s quite an honourable thing you’re doing.’_

_‘It’s got nothing to do with honour, Kaa-san.’_

_‘No...of course it doesn’t.’ She walked forward and took Sasuke’s hand between both of hers. Her grip was warm and sure, and calmed Sasuke’s disquieted thoughts. ‘I don’t think I need to tell you that your involvement will affect the baby just as much as it does Naruto.’_

_‘I’m aware of that.’_

_Mikoto nodded. ‘You love him very much…’_

_Sasuke didn’t know what to say to that, but Mikoto didn’t seem to be expecting an answer. ‘My precious boy,’ she smiled, reaching up to stroke his cheek. ‘You’ve grown so much...I’m so proud of the man you’ve become.’_

_‘Kaa-san—’ Sasuke was stunned by his mother’s acceptance. ‘You’re not going to try and talk me out of it?’_

_‘I know you, Sasuke,’ she explained, ‘You wouldn’t do anything if you weren’t certain it was what you wanted.’_

_‘But Nii-san…’_

_‘Your brother loves you, Sasuke. He’s only trying to look out for you.’ She squeezed his hand in hers. ‘Don’t be too hard on him.’_

_‘...I’ll try...’ He gave his mother a side smile._

_‘Now,’ she said, patting his hand, ‘shall we finish dinner?’_

  
  


≈

‘She’s _sooo_ cute!’ Sakura cooed and Sasuke hushed her with a click of his tongue.

‘Not so loud,’ he scolded quietly. ‘Naruto just fed her and put her to bed. We don’t need you waking her up.’ His friend flashed him an apologetic grin.

It’s only been a week since they brought her home and they were still getting used to having a new-born in their lives. Babies required a frightful amount of attention, and while Sasuke had known that, he hadn’t realised the magnitude of what it would be. Hotaru, as Naruto decided to name her, had an impressive set of lungs on her—something she no doubt inherited from her father. Her wails were loud enough to bring down their apartment block; Sasuke wondered how long it would be before they would get complaints from their neighbours.

Naruto’s friends had all been excited to meet her, too. But, in order not to overwhelm Naruto, Sasuke asked them to wait a while before paying their visits. And to come in batches; they had a tendency to get too rowdy when they were all together.

Sakura leaned away from the crib and grinned at Naruto. ‘She looks like you,’

‘Does she really?’ The expectant smile on his face grew wider.

‘She does,’ Gaara agreed, ‘Except for the hair.’

Sasuke collected the empty baby bottles to bring into the kitchen, giving Naruto’s arm a pat as he passed him. ‘We should leave the room before we wake her.’

They shuffled out and Naruto let the door fall closed, baby monitor in hand.

‘How is it so far?’ Sakura asked as they took their seats in the living room.

‘Keeps me busy,’ Naruto laughed, ‘I’m learning to wake up every few hours to make sure she’s fed and changed.’ He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. ‘I knew babies were hard work, but man was that an underestimation.’

Sasuke moved into the kitchen, leaving Naruto to chat with the two, and proceeded to wash the bottles before placing them into the steriliser.

He put on a pot for tea and poured it into cups, along with a plateful of cheese and cream crackers, bringing it with him back to the living room.

‘Aw, I want one of my own, too,’ Sasuke heard Sakura wail as he returned.

‘So, make one,’ Naruto said with a laugh.

‘We’ve been trying,’ she replied, muttering a soft “thanks” when Sasuke offered her a cup.

‘Really? That’s awesome!’ Naruto chirped happily, bouncing in his seat.

‘How long?’ questioned Sasuke, settling next to Naruto once everyone had a cup of tea in their hands.

She smiled shyly, scratching her cheek. ‘We’ve talked about it for a while now, but only been actively trying for a month.’

‘That’s not long. You’re a doctor, Sakura. You should know that.’

Sakura clicked her tongue, looking a little irate. ‘I do know.’

Gaara sipped his tea, silently watching their exchange. Naruto nibbled on a cracker.

‘Or, you know,’ Sasuke smirked, ‘perhaps the problem is Kakashi. He _is_ getting on in age.’

Naruto let out a barking laugh before stifling it as Sakura glared and aimed a kick at Sasuke’s shin.

‘Oh, shut up.’

Managing to dodge the attack, Sasuke chuckled and reached over to ruffle her hair. ‘Relax, Sakura. Your moment will come,’ he reassured her.

The next of Sakura’s questions were almost all medical-related, to confirm they had everything in order. She liked to be informed of all things and it was a trait Sasuke both admired and disliked in her. It was a positive, in this case since Naruto could look to her for advice on Hotaru’s wellbeing.

‘Really though, Sakura-chan,’ sighed Naruto leaning back into his chair after she finished answering some of his concerns. His bare toes wiggled under Sasuke’s foot. ‘I’m so glad to have you as a friend.’ Sakura beamed and Naruto pat Gaara’s arm. ‘You too, buddy.’

‘I don’t think I’m going to be nearly as helpful as Sakura but thank you.’

Naruto laughed. ‘Aw, you can totally help me out with babysitting and stuff.’

‘Of course, Naruto,’ Gaara agreed with a smile. With a glance at the closed door of the baby’s room, he continued, ‘You’re going to be a great dad.’

* * *

After his paternity leave ended, Naruto reluctantly returned to work. He was apprehensive about leaving his daughter behind; Hotaru was still very little, just two months old. But it was something he had to learn to live with. When he brought up the topic with his friend and roommate, about deciding whether he should be hiring a babysitter or switching the responsibility of watching over her between their friends, Sasuke offered to take up his annual leave to look after her.

‘You don’t have to do that,’ Naruto said to him, cradling his daughter in his arms as he rocked her to sleep with the help of the rocking chair Sasuke had bought him. It was made from dark lacquered wood and had soft tufted cushions for the seating. It was easily Naruto’s favourite of all the baby shower gifts he’d received before Hotaru’s birth.

‘Of course, I do,’ Sasuke replied, kneeling beside them. He gently smoothed his thumb over Hotaru’s cheek, watching as her eyes slowly drooped closed. ‘I promised to support you with this, and I intend to keep that promise.’ Sasuke’s dark eyes met Naruto’s. From this distance, Naruto could make out the grey flecks in his irises and admire the length of his ink-black lashes. His bow-shaped lips were quirked up at the corners in a smile that Naruto knew Sasuke only reserved for him. He was the most beautiful man Naruto had ever known and he was supposed to be Naruto’s friend...so these urges he got of wanting to kiss him were things he needed to get under control...

‘Yes, but Sasuke,’ he cleared his throat self-consciously and tried again, ‘You should save your annual leave for something like a vacation.’

Sasuke scoffed. ‘When have you ever seen me take a vacation?’

‘When I force you to?’

‘Yeah, only then.’ Sasuke smirked. ‘Hotaru’s still too young to be left with anyone else,’ he explained quietly. ‘I have enough leave days saved up, and after that, I can work from home until she’s at least five months old.’

Naruto paused, watching his friend carefully. ‘Are you sure this is what you want to do?’

Sasuke made a show of rolling his eyes, but his reply was no less earnest, ‘Without a doubt.’

And that was that.

Balancing the shopping in one hand, Naruto managed to unlock the door to the apartment. Shuffling into the flat, he toed off his shoes and carried the bags into the kitchen to deposit them onto the counter. Kurama immediately hopped up onto the counter to investigate the _suspicious_ items brought into _his_ house. Naruto chuckled, giving his orange ball of fluff a quick scratch on the head before going in search of Sasuke and Hotaru.

The faint sound of humming reached his ears as he turned into the hallway, which caused him to pause momentarily before he continued on tiptoe. The door to Hotaru’s room was ajar and Naruto peeked in. What he saw, caused his chest to swell with emotion.

Sasuke was standing by the crib with Hotaru in his arms, swaying gently from side to side. Rocking her to sleep, Naruto assumed…

...And he was _singing_.

It was soft, but Sasuke seldom sang and Naruto found himself caught off guard—rooted to where he stood because he didn’t want Sasuke to notice him and stop. As rare as it was, Naruto cherished the few times he had heard him. Sasuke had such a beautiful voice. Naruto was so entranced he didn’t notice Sasuke place Hotaru in her crib and turn to look at him, looking mildly miffed.

He clicked his tongue causing Naruto to start, eyes refocusing.

‘How long have you been standing there?’ he muttered, grabbing Naruto’s wrist and dragging him out of the room. He pulled the door halfway closed behind them.

‘O—Oh, I just got here,’ Naruto tried, sheepishly.

‘Right,’ Sasuke scoffed, ‘Idiot.’

They stared at each other for a minute before Naruto broke the silence. ‘You’re getting her used to lullabies,’ he grinned, ‘Soon _I_ won’t be able to rock her to sleep. I can’t hold a tune to save my life.’

‘Hn. That’s true.’ Sasuke smirked.

Naruto shoved at his shoulder. ‘Don’t stop, though,’ he continued, ‘I think she likes it when you sing to her.’

Sasuke took a step closer to him and Naruto got a whiff of his cologne; something airy and clean and fresh. His skin tingled and his fingers twitched like they wanted to reach out and touch. ‘ _She_ likes it...or _you_ do?’

Never one to back down from any of their exchanges, Naruto stood his ground and replied with similar inflection, ‘You _know_ I do.’

∞

Sasuke was already asleep when Naruto emerged from the shower later that night. With Hotaru right beside him. He must have brought her to the bedroom when she’d woken up crying.

They painted quite the picture. Her tiny hand was curled around Sasuke’s index finger with Sasuke’s other hand gently tucked under his own cheek as he slumbered on his side, facing the little girl.

Naruto’s heart fluttered at the sight.

He never imagined this would be how it turned out when he first told Sasuke about the baby.

Tiptoeing as quietly as he possibly could, he reached for his phone on the dresser to click a photo of the two of them. With her dark hair and soft, pale skin, she looked more like Sasuke’s daughter than Naruto’s. He chuckled to himself. Well...she was in a way, he supposed.

Not wanting to accidentally wake either of them, he decided to leave Hotaru where she was and climbed onto his side of the bed, carefully sliding under the covers. Scooting as close as he could, he dropped a feather-light kiss to his baby’s hair before settling into his spot.

He wondered if he should give one to Sasuke, too—as he gazed at his best friend’s relaxed face. From his closed eyes lined with long, dark lashes and the straight slope of his nose to his slightly parted lips. He looked years younger as he rested. Unable to resist the urge, Naruto reached out and tucked back a lone lock of hair fallen across Sasuke’s forehead.

The door creaked and with a gruff meow, Kurama announced himself. He hopped onto the foot of the bed to peer at the three of them with curious, amber eyes.

‘Shh,’ Naruto chastised the feline when he let out another meow while stretching. Paying no mind to Naruto, Kurama made himself comfortable atop the duvet, curling into a croissant next to Sasuke’s foot. Naruto chuckled quietly to himself.

‘Naruto?’ Sasuke’s groggy voice startled him and he immediately turned his attention to his friend.

‘It’s just Kurama,’ he quickly whispered, ‘Go back to sleep.’

‘Hn…’ Sasuke blinked at the baby, still thankfully asleep between them. ‘Should put Hotaru back,’ he mumbled, making to get up but Naruto pressed a hand to his shoulder before he could.

‘No, it’s alright,’ Naruto murmured with a smile. ‘Let her sleep here.’

‘But—’

‘It’s fine, Sasuke.’ Naruto dismissed with a wave of his hand. ’It’s just one night.’

...But of course, it never was.

* * *

It was remarkable to see just how much Sasuke and Hotaru had bonded. Naruto suspected that his daughter might be a tad more attached to Sasuke than she was to him and he would be completely jealous if he wasn’t already utterly smitten by watching the way they interacted with one another.

Like right at that moment; Hotaru and Sasuke were seated together on the floor in the middle of their living room, while Sasuke lightly strummed on his guitar, singing to her in a range of dynamic voices and grinning as she squealed in happiness.

Naruto stood in the kitchen doorway and watched in awe as his six-month-old daughter grabbed onto the neck of the guitar and pulled herself to standing. She did it so effortlessly now; having been only five months old when she first stood up in her crib. He remembered when Sasuke first told him about it.

≈

_‘I’m home,’ Naruto announced to the house as he shut the door behind him. He had only just locked the door when Sasuke appeared from the depths of their apartment with the most peculiar expression on his face._

_‘Hey.’_

_Naruto grinned and began to talk as he hung up his jacket and pulled off his shoes. ‘You won’t believe the day I had. Jam-packed, I tell you! I don’t think I had enough time to properly eat, too,’ he chuckled, ‘Today’s Mother’s Day. Did you remember? Not to worry, I had roses and orchids delivered to Okaa-san on your be—’_

_‘Hotaru,’ Sasuke said suddenly, his brows furrowed._

_‘Huh?’ Naruto blinked, taking in Sasuke’s posture and the expression on his face. ‘What happened?’_

_Dark eyes met his blue. ‘Hotaru...she stood up for the first time today.’_

_‘...What?’ Naruto took one faltering step forward. He couldn’t have heard that right._

_‘Hotaru stood up,’ Sasuke repeated._

_‘B—But—how?’ Naruto stuttered, ‘She’s still—She’s only five months old…’_

_‘...Yeah, but she did.’_

_A thought struck Naruto. ‘I missed it?’ Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his friend shift closer towards him. He ran a hand through his hair. ‘Did you,’ Naruto asked, ‘catch it on video?’_

_Sasuke shook his head. ‘It happened too fast. I’d finished giving her her bottle and turned around to put it on the table...When I turned back, I saw her grab the railing of her crib and stand up,’ he explained, looking dejected, ‘I tried to encourage her to do it again, but she didn’t. I’m sorry.’_

_Reaching out, he let his hands fall onto Sasuke’s shoulders in a comforting grip. ‘Hey, no, it’s okay…’ Naruto smiled._

_‘It’s not,’ Sasuke countered._

_‘Okay, it’s not,’ he chuckled. ‘But these things happen. I’ll see it next time.’_

_‘Hm.’_

_‘Come on,’ Naruto urged, taking Sasuke’s hand and leading the way to the baby’s room. Peeking in to make sure she wasn’t asleep first, he strode in. She gurgled happily when she saw him. ‘Hello, my darling,’ he cooed, ‘I heard you did something amazing today.’ He didn’t pick her up though, wanting to wash off all the day’s grime before cuddling with her. So Sasuke lifted her into his arms for him._

_Naruto immediately bent to kiss her silky soft feet, enjoying the way she laughed in response._

_‘What did it look like?’ he asked Sasuke, wanting to know._

_‘It was…’ Sasuke bit his lip, trying to find the words. ‘I don’t think her legs were ready to hold her body up. She went down almost as quickly as she stood.’ He shook his head. ‘I was so scared that she hurt herself. But all she did was laugh after it had happened.’_

_‘Did you play a prank on Sasuke?’ Naruto cooed to his daughter while tickling the bottoms of her feet. ‘You’re taking after me, after all.’ He turned his attention back to Sasuke. ‘But that was such an overachiever thing—standing at_ five months _,’ he grinned, ‘Maybe hanging out with you is rubbing off on her.’_

_‘Hn.’_

_Something scratched at his hip and when Naruto looked down, he saw Kurama stretching up along the length of his leg, asking for attention. ‘Of course, I haven’t forgotten you, my giant baby,’ Naruto laughed, pulling his cat into his arms. ‘You’re still my number one.’ Kurama immediately began to purr._

_Later, when they had told Mikoto about Hotaru’s early achievement, she explained how Sasuke had done the same at six months old; that he’d never had a crawling phase and went straight to running at ten months. Which Naruto had taken the pleasure in teasing Sasuke about over and over that day, only to burst into tears when he witnessed, for his first time, Hotaru standing_.

≈

Naruto shook the memory away and watched as Sasuke immediately stopped playing to lightly keep an arm around her in case she lost her balance. Hotaru curiously plucked at the strings with her chubby fingers, giggling when they produced soft sounds.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he snapped a photo.

That caught Sasuke’s attention and his black eyes turned to Naruto. ‘Why are you lurking, Usuratonkachi?’

‘Hey!’ Naruto retorted on auto-pilot, ‘Stop calling me that in front of her. What if it sticks!’

Smirking, Sasuke turned to Hotaru, ‘I think it’s stuck already. What do you think, sweet pea?’ Her response was to giggle. ‘I think she agrees.’

Naruto rolled his eyes and laughed.

∞

On most nights, Sasuke was the one who ended up putting Hotaru to bed. Naruto knew it was because she had gotten used to being sung to sleep and unless she fell asleep on her own due to tiredness, Sasuke’s lullabies were the only thing that worked.

Also, since that night, she wouldn’t sleep in her own crib. So, Sasuke got her to fall asleep in their room, before carefully moving her to her own. Not that it worked all the time. Sometimes, he would take her to her room, only to bring her right back because she had woken again and refused to sleep until she was back in their bed. On those days, Sasuke grumbled about spoiling her, but didn’t decline her “request” either.

Without a doubt, she had both of them completely wrapped around her tiny pinkie.

That night was one of those nights again and Naruto found himself watching the two of them. Entranced.

Sasuke lay beside her, singing softly and rubbing her back to coax her back to sleep. Naruto couldn’t see her face from his position on the bed, but he could imagine her eyes slowly drooping to the soothing sound of Sasuke’s voice.

The expression on Sasuke’s face, on the other hand, was completely in Naruto’s view…

...So full of love and tenderness...

...And try as he might, he couldn’t take his eyes off him.

Unable to stop himself, he thought, _I love you._

The singing stopped.

‘W—What?’

‘Huh?’

‘What did you just say?’ Sasuke watched him, wide-eyed, and sat up slowly. A quick glance at Hotaru to make sure she wasn’t going to wake up again and those eyes were back on him.

‘Uhh…’ Naruto blinked three times, then almost smacked himself on the forehead when he realised he had said the words out loud.

Gingerly climbing off the bed, Sasuke arranged their pillows around the slumbering baby to keep her from rolling and walked towards the door, motioning for Naruto to follow.

Once the door was shut as quickly and quietly as they could, Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the front of his hoodie and dragged him into their living room. From his place on the couch, Kurama looked up, ears perked, and relaxed once again when he realised it was only them.

Letting go of Naruto, he ran a hand through his hair before turning to face him. ‘Did you mean it?’

‘W—What?’ It was Naruto’s turn to stutter.

‘Did—what you said—did you mean it?’ Sasuke’s hands twitched at his sides, like he wasn’t sure what he should be doing with them.

Naruto bit his lip, staring at his feet. Unconsciously he began to pick at the skin around his thumbnail. 

What could he say? 

Yes! Hell yes, he meant it! _Hell yes_ , he loved Sasuke!

He wanted to say it all...been wanting to say it for years...But Sasuke...What if it changed everything between them? What if it didn’t work out? Sasuke was such a huge part of his life, of Hotaru’s life...Naruto didn’t know if he could have the heart to—

‘Naruto.’ 

He met the eyes of his lifelong friend and was floored by the emotion he saw swirling in their depths. There was fear, but at the same time, there was understanding and affection, and...dare he say it, love.

Sasuke smirked and took a step forward. ‘You always have the need to pick at something when you’re nervous,’ he said, taking Naruto’s hand into his and effectively halting him from picking at his thumb.

‘Ah, right,’ Naruto muttered, not surprised that Sasuke would recognise this tick of his. Sasuke was probably the only person who knew everything there was to know about him. And more.

But somehow, he didn’t know _this_ …It was almost funny...And at the same time, really sad.

‘Come on,’ Sasuke said after a minute, ‘We should get to sleep.’ Because as stubborn as he was, he wasn’t the kind to push Naruto into admitting something he wasn’t ready to reveal. Well, not always. And right then, Naruto wished he did.

‘Idiot,’ he muttered—to whom he referred, he couldn’t be sure—and yanked Sasuke back, just as he was about to walk away. Into him. And cupping the other man’s face, Naruto kissed him.

It was brief, but it was tender; Naruto poured all his words and feelings into it because he wasn’t sure if he could get his brain to form the words.

When he pulled back, he blurted, ‘I do.’

Sasuke chuckled. ‘You do?’

Blushing, Naruto tried to elaborate, ‘...I do mean it...I do. But Sasuke, I’m... _so fucking terrified_. What if this doesn’t work out? What if—I don’t want to lose you!’

Sasuke just looked at him...like he was the most perfect thing in the whole world.

He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to Naruto’s for a short moment. ‘You absolute _moron_!’

‘Hey—’

‘Where the hell did you get the idea that you could ever lose me?’

‘Well, becau—’

‘You were the one person who never gave up on me,’ Sasuke told him, stunning Naruto into silence. ‘Even when I did everything I could to push you away, you stayed.’ He gave Naruto one of his rare, soft smiles. ‘You are the most stubborn idiot I’ve ever come across.’

‘Shut up. You’re worse than me—’

‘Exactly.’

‘Huh?’

‘Between the two of us, don’t you believe we’ll make it?’ He smirked.

‘Sasuke…’ Naruto raised his hands back to cup Sasuke’s face. He was still looking at Naruto like he was the most brilliant, beautiful thing in the world. ‘If you keep looking at me like that, I won’t be held responsible for my actions.’

‘Hn. Idiot,’ Sasuke murmured against Naruto’s lips before kissing him fully.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's part two. ^^  
> This is definitely much longer than I expected. I'm hoping I can finish it with three chapters, but let's see.
> 
> Hope you like it. <3

Over a year ago, Sasuke would never have believed that he would not only be in a relationship with his best friend but would also be raising his child. It was one of the most surreal experiences he had so far.

If anyone asked Sasuke to describe how happy he felt, he wouldn’t be able to put it into words. It had only been a week and a half since he and Naruto talked about their feelings and his stomach still did somersaults whenever Naruto’s gaze, touch, or kisses lingered.

Like right now.

Naruto walked into the kitchen, dressed in a pair of shorts and an old band t-shirt, carrying his daughter in his arms.

‘G’morning,’ he greeted into Sasuke’s temple.

‘Yeah,’ Sasuke said, unable to keep the smile from his face. Hotaru made grabby hands in his direction so Sasuke chuckled, set aside the apple puree he had made for her and took her, while Naruto pouted.

‘I’m not even surprised you charmed my daughter,’ he grumbled, moving over to the stove to start on their breakfast. ‘After you managed to have every other girl and boy in high school falling at your feet. It was pathetic.’

‘Well,’ Sasuke said to Hotaru as he placed her in her highchair, ‘turns out your Tou-chan was just as affected by that charm, so I wonder what that says about him.’ He laughed at Naruto’s indignant squawk.

‘You think you’re real funny, don’cha, Sasuke,’ Naruto said, stalking forward and trapping Sasuke against the island.

‘Mm, yeah, I do,’ Sasuke smirked, sliding his hands up Naruto’s strong back. 

Naruto leaned forward to kiss him, but they were interrupted by Naruto’s gurgling daughter.

‘Gurrmmhh!’ she whined, a little drool trickling down her chin, and pat the table insistently.

‘Looks like someone’s jealous,’ Naruto chuckled. He leaned into Sasuke as he reached behind him to grab a napkin. He kissed Sasuke lightly as he passed the cloth to him before straightening and turning back to the stove.

‘Is that so, sweet pea?’ Sasuke asked Hotaru. His voice pitched from the moment he addressed her, and he heard Naruto’s soft laughter but didn’t care; Hotaru would recognise the way his voice changed for her, and she loved it. 

After wiping Hotaru’s mouth clean, Sasuke settled in front of her with her apple puree. ‘Now, who’s ready for her breakie?’

Naruto filled Kurama’s food bowl and set the table while waiting for Sasuke to finish feeding Hotaru. Then took her to her playpen while Sasuke cleaned up before they were both ready to have their own breakfast together. It had only been some months, but this had quickly become their morning routine. Especially since Hotaru began eating semi-solid food. The only thing that alternated was who would feed Hotaru.

‘I’ve got a couple of errands to run,’ Sasuke began while they cleared the dishes after breakfast, ‘Do you think it’ll be okay if you went to see Iruka on your own today?’

Naruto made it a habit to meet up with his adoptive father every third Sunday of the month. It was a routine thing they did together since Naruto first moved out for college. Since becoming an integral part of Naruto’s life, Sasuke sometimes tagged along. Mostly because Naruto wanted him to. But Sasuke admittedly enjoyed those moments. He liked to be able to build a strong relationship with his best friend’s father, just like Naruto did with his family.

‘Ehh,’ Naruto looked up at him, pausing from his dish-drying task. ‘But—But—this would be the first time Iruka meets you as my boyfriend.’

Sasuke felt bad for letting Naruto down, but this was something he needed to do. ‘I know, but there are sales in the shops and Kaa-san was saying it would be a good time to get Hotaru some new clothes.’

Naruto hummed thoughtfully. ‘In that case, maybe I’ll join you.’

‘What?’ Sasuke’s heart began to race. This was not— ‘What about your plans with Iruka?’

‘Well...I guess could reschedule.’ Naruto chewed his bottom lip. ‘I mean, it’s not fair if you have to take Hotaru shopping alone.’

‘Alone? Who said I would be alone?’ Sasuke said quickly, aiming to deter. ‘Kaa-san will be coming.’ Naruto tagging along on this trip was the last thing he needed. ‘So, you should go meet Iruka. He’d be awfully disappointed if you cancelled.’

‘Yeah, but…’ Naruto looked between Sasuke and his daughter. ‘Are you _sure_ it’s okay?’

‘I’m sure,’ Sasuke gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. ‘Don’t worry about it. You go and have a good time.’

‘Hm, okay. Since you’re insisting,’ Naruto agreed finally, much to Sasuke’s relief.

They quickly finished up the cleaning and went about preparing for their day. Sasuke let Naruto shower first before giving Hotaru her bath. Which was thankfully not a very difficult task that day. Normally she managed to somehow get water all over the bathroom, drenching the person bathing her in the process—somehow bathing Kurama was an easier task for them, and he _hated_ water. But this time she had behaved. Maybe she could subconsciously sense that Sasuke needed her to be good. Whatever it was, Sasuke didn’t question for fear of jinxing it.

As soon as she was bathed, he handed her off to her father to be dressed and Sasuke got to getting himself ready. His mother would be arriving shortly, and he didn’t want Naruto to spend too much time with her today. Naruto would definitely question her about their plans and if they didn’t align exactly as how Sasuke explained them, he’d know something was up.

Mikoto had perfect timing though, arriving just as Naruto was about to head out the door.

‘Bye-bye, my princess,’ Naruto cooed, kissing his daughter on her forehead and her cheeks. ‘Tou-chan will miss you.’ Then he turned his attention to Sasuke. ‘Are you _sure_ you’re sure?’

Sasuke rolled his eyes. ‘ _Yes_ , idiot. Go, have a good time.’ 

Naruto pouted for a moment, but then brightened up. ‘Okay,’ he said, wrapping an arm around Sasuke’s waist and pulling him in for a kiss that had his toes curling. In front of his mother, too!

Murmuring the words ‘see you soon’ against his lips, Naruto pulled away, leaving Sasuke beet-red.

He gave Mikoto a hug and a peck on the cheek, as well. ‘Thank you for doing this, Okaa-san,’ Naruto told her, before _finally_ leaving.

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief.

And then he saw the teasing grin on his mother’s face...and had to refrain himself from smacking his forehead.

‘So…’ began his mother, ‘Want to talk about what that was?’

‘Nope.’

‘Aww…I’m so happy for you, darling.’

‘Kaa-san!’

His mother giggled and went over to pick Hotaru up from her stroller, where Naruto had placed her earlier. ‘I have everything I could ever want,’ she said to the baby, tickling her tummy and making her giggle. ‘A granddaughter and now, a son-in-law. Granted, it’s all backwards, but I’m not complaining.’ She winked.

‘We only just got together,’ Sasuke corrected. He shrugged on a jacket and put on his shoes.

‘Oh, honey, you two have been “married” for much longer than you think.’ Mikoto flashed him an impish grin. ‘You just didn’t know it.’

∞

Leaving Hotaru with his mother allowed Sasuke the freedom to get all the necessary things together. He supposes he probably would have managed even if he had to carry a baby around, but he knew it would be much easier this way. Besides, Hotaru would be much more comfortable with going for a relaxing walk with his mother than with Sasuke’s hurried pace—because he needed to get everything done and ready before Naruto returned home.

He had been planning this for a whole month and to think that it almost went to ruin with Naruto’s sudden change in plans.

At least he had spoken to Iruka beforehand, asking him to keep Naruto out for as long as possible.

The house was empty, save for Kurama, when Sasuke returned. Mikoto and Hotaru were probably still on their walk. Good. It would give Sasuke some peace to prepare everything without having to deal with his mother’s teasing.

He got to work; chopping up the vegetables and meat for the various dishes he was making and setting the pots on the stove, while simultaneously setting up the stove.

At half-past twelve, Sasuke decided to take a break for lunch and was preparing it, when Mikoto and Hotaru returned.

‘We had a lovely walk, didn’t we, darling?’ Mikoto said as she handed the little girl to Sasuke.

‘Did you now?’ Sasuke asked, laughing at Hotaru’s gurgling response. ‘What did you see?’

‘Bububu,’ she told him, patting her hands down on the table of her highchair when Sasuke sat her in it and placed a bib around her neck.

‘Lots and lots of birds,’ Mikoto helped her out, ‘and squirrels.’ To which Hotaru squealed in delight.

Luckily for Naruto and Sasuke, Hotaru wasn't a fussy baby when it came to food. She ate anything and everything that they prepared for her—a trait she most certainly inherited from her father. 

But she had to have someone tell her stories while she ate. Normally, Sasuke would be the one to do so; making up various tales about anything that came to mind. But he had to admit his storytelling was never as good as Naruto’s, who managed to come up with creative ideas on the spot; about dragons and knights and flying cats...or something.

Mikoto, although not as animated as Naruto, was also relatively better than Sasuke at storytelling. So, Sasuke left that task to her while he fed Hotaru her pureed peas and carrots.

Once that was done, and after he and his mother had their lunch, Mikoto cleaned up in the kitchen, while Sasuke went to put Hotaru down for a nap. For what he had planned for the evening, he needed her to be well-rested, bright, and energetic. A cranky baby would do no one any good.

At a quarter past one, Gaara, Sakura, and Ino arrived, arms laden with flowers and candles and sweets.

‘We almost rang the doorbell,’ Ino told Sasuke after greeting Mikoto.

‘Not _we_. _You_. _You_ almost rang the doorbell,’ Sakura interjected.

‘But then, we remembered it might wake Hotaru, so we didn’t,’ Ino continued as if the other woman hadn’t spoken.

‘How kind of you,’ deadpanned Sasuke. He helped them bring the flowers into the living room.

Between the five of them, they managed to deck the entire living room in flowers and candles—the electric kind because Kurama could get wound up if triggered and having real flames could become hazardous.

Naruto loved flowers and plants; it could be seen by the sheer amount of plants they had around their apartment. It was a special day for Naruto, the first one ever, and Sasuke wanted to give him the best possible day he could.

Once the decorations were complete, they set the coffee table with a selection of Naruto’s favourite sweets and a bottle of satsuma-imo shochu, also his favourite. Beside that Sasuke placed a medium-sized box wrapped in brown paper adorned with sunflowers.

‘Well, all done,’ chirped Sakura once they were satisfied with how everything turned out.

‘Hn.’ Sasuke surveyed the living room. He had ever seen it this colourful before; it didn’t look like their place at all. ‘Do you think he’ll like it?’ he found himself asking.

‘Of course, he will,’ Gaara replied with a small smile. ‘Without a doubt.’ He stood beside Sasuke, cradling Kurama in his arms. Of all Naruto’s friends, Sasuke, Gaara, and Sakura were the few humans Kurama was completely attached to. Of the others, he was indifferent to.

Just before the trio made to leave, Sasuke offered them something to eat or drink. They declined the offer, saying that Sasuke needed to take the time to get Hotaru ready in time for Naruto’s arrival.

‘Naruto’s going to love it,’ Sakura wished him at the door, squeezing Sasuke’s hand. ‘Everything looks beautiful.’

‘Let us know how it goes,’ smiled Ino with a waggle of her eyebrows.

Sasuke only shook his head. ‘I’ll think about it,’ he joked. After a moment, he said, ‘Uh, thanks...for coming and helping me out with all this.’

‘Happy to help,’ said Sakura.

‘I’m just glad you two have finally stopped dancing around each other.’ Gaara smirked.

The two women laughed in agreement; Sasuke’s ears grew hot. He hadn’t realised that a lot of their friends had been waiting for this to happen. Sure, Sakura had known how he felt about Naruto, but he didn’t think anyone else did.

∞

Mikoto had left shortly after their friends did. She gave Sasuke enough time, watching Hotaru while he freshened up, before taking her leave.

‘Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll love it,’ she told him at the door when she took notice of his discomfort. ‘You’re such a romantic,’ she commented, teasing. And when Sasuke made to protest, she added with nostalgia, ‘Your father was quite the romantic, too.’

Sasuke’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Tou-san did things like this?’ It was shocking news. Never had he seen his father ever show emotion in such a vulnerable way, even to their mother.

‘Of course,’ Mikoto replied with a laugh. ‘He was very affectionate, especially during the early days of our marriage. But as time went, the nature of his job forced him to change.’ She grew sad and Sasuke felt his heart ache for her. ‘He still made special effort on our anniversary and on birthdays...and he loved you boys so much, even though I know he didn’t show it much...’ She trailed off, her voice cracking. Sasuke reached out to wipe away a lone tear that spilled from his mother’s eye. ‘He would have been so proud to see you today. And he would have adored Hotaru.’

‘...I know…’

After that little emotional moment, his mother had dried her tears and smiled at him, telling him once again how proud and happy she was for him.

It was nearing five o’clock in the evening when Sasuke received a text message from Iruka, informing him that Naruto was on his way home.

Butterflies in his chest, Sasuke said good-bye to his mother and went to fetch Hotaru from her playpen. He found her biting her own toes with Kurama curled up beside her. It was so cute, Sasuke couldn’t stop himself from capturing the image onto his phone to show Naruto later.

‘Come on, sweet pea,’ he said, scooping her into his arms. ‘Your Tou-chan will be here soon.’

“Soon” wasn’t for at least another half an hour, but Sasuke was a bundle of nerves and needed something to distract himself with. He settled for keeping Hotaru in his lap while he read to her. She seemed to prefer it when Naruto read to her; he was much better at creating the voices and actions of the characters in the books—just like his storytelling.

Sasuke was halfway through the second book, having made her a bottle when he heard the key turn in the lock.

He’s up immediately with Hotaru in his arms.

The door to their apartment opened directly into their living room, which meant that Naruto would be able to see everything that had been set up for him the moment he entered.

The butterflies turned into a stampede of wildebeest, hands growing clammy as he watched the door swing open.

‘I’m home,’ Naruto called out, as he stepped in through the doorway and stopped. His jaw dropped, blue eyes taking in everything before comi—

The closing door crashed into his back. ‘Ow, fuck.’

Sasuke stifled the laugh that bubbled up from his chest at the sight and moved closer to help the other man. ‘You okay?’

Naruto rubbed his back, glaring at the door that grievously offended him. He locked the door, toed off his shoes, and stepped further into the apartment. ‘What a mood kill.’

‘I’ll say,’ Sasuke sniggered. He shifted Hotaru’s position so that she was held with her back against his chest.

‘Sasuke,’ Naruto shifted closer to them, ‘What’s all this?’ He gestured to the living room.

‘It’s for you,’ Sasuke said, lips quirking. ‘Happy Father’s Day.’

* * *

It was an odd thing for Sasuke to cancel on him at the last moment. Extremely uncharacteristic of him. Naruto has always known Sasuke to be such a meticulous person. And while he tolerated the occasional spontaneity, he despised breaking plans without prior notice.

It weighed on his mind all through his way to meet his adoptive father.

He and Iruka created this ritual, ever since Naruto moved out, to meet up at least once a month and spend time together for almost a whole day. On occasion, they would even plan vacations together. Naruto always looked forward to those moments and he was certain Iruka did, too.

As much as he liked the time he got to spend alone with his father, it was the best when Sasuke was able to join them. Even if most of the time, Sasuke and Iruka banded together to tease Naruto. He loved that they got on well.

Iruka was already there, waiting at the pier where they always met up first. It was a beautiful day, with blue skies and fluffy, white clouds. Warm, but not humid. Perfect for Hotaru to enjoy. Naruto sighed as he pulled into a parking spot.

‘Hey,’ Iruka greeted him with a smile and Naruto bent to give him a hug. A tight one. It made Iruka laugh.

‘Happy Father’s Day,’ Naruto grinned when he pulled back. 

‘Thank you, Naruto,’ Iruka smiled and ruffled Naruto’s hair.

‘Sorry Sasuke and Hotaru couldn’t make it. Errands and all that.’ He shrugged.

‘Yeah. Sasuke called me earlier to let me know.’ Iruka pat Naruto’s arm. ‘It’s alright. It’s been a while since we spent some quality time together, just us two.’

∞

During their meetups, the things they did together varied. Sometimes they went to the arcade, other times they went for a movie. Since Hotaru’s birth, they spent a lot of time at parks and beaches, as they needed everything to be child friendly. But this time, since it was just the two of them, Iruka dragged Naruto to—

‘Pottery?’ Naruto stared wide-eyed at the storefront they stood before. It had tall, framed, glass windows and he could see a few people within.

‘I thought it’d be a nice thing to try,’ Iruka suggested, ‘Maybe, if we like it enough, we can do it on a regular basis.’

‘But I’m not good at—’ Naruto tried to say.

‘Oh, I’m sure no one is good at it right at the start,’ Iruka encouraged. He walked up to the entrance. ‘Come on, let’s give it a try.’

They bought time at the shop to use the clay and oven and were each given an apron, protective sleeves, and a set of tools. There was free seating at the turntables and Naruto and Iruka picked two next to each other in the corner of the room, where they also found their lumps of clay. There were surprisingly few people there, and Naruto hoped it was due to the time of day rather than a lack of interest in the art—although he too had never been here before.

Since it was their first time, a friendly instructor showed them how to use the equipment and gave a lesson on the basics of sculpting. It sounded suspiciously easy, but Naruto was eager to try. He was also surprised to find Iruka was rather skillful. 

Things did not go quite as smoothly for Naruto, however; his first spin of the turntable had his piece of clay splat against the wall behind him and put Iruka into a fit of giggles.

With a second lesson from Iruka, Naruto somehow got the hang of it. All in all, it was enjoyable and as they were leaving, with Naruto’s three wobbly mugs, he was certain he wanted to bring Sasuke here in the future. And maybe Hotaru, too, when she was older.

‘That was fun, wasn’t it?’ Iruka said as they sat down for lunch at a restaurant located in downtown Konoha. It served Suna-inspired cuisine and had first been introduced to Naruto by Gaara. It was a cozy spot that Naruto enjoyed frequenting.

The waiter arrived, serving them a complimentary chilled tamarind drink, which was all kinds of sour and sweet. An acquired taste, Naruto found. He hadn’t liked it at the start, but now he didn’t mind it as much. They sent their server away after placing an order for a plate of flatbread and hummus, along with a selection of various roasted meats.

‘I guess it was,’ Naruto replied, chuckling when Iruka’s face contorted after taking a sip of the drink. ‘Though, you lied to me. First time, my ass.’

Iruka clicked his tongue at Naruto’s choice of words but didn’t chastise like he would have done when Naruto was younger. ‘Technically I never said it was my first time.’ He grinned. ‘And you seemed like you needed something to distract you. You looked quite upset that Sasuke and Hotaru couldn’t join us.’

‘Ah, well…’ Naruto rubbed the back of his head.

‘What is it?’ Iruka prompted gently. ‘You can talk to me about it if you’d like.’

‘Ah, it’s…’ Naruto paused, thinking how to phrase his words. ‘You know how Sasuke _hates_ it when plans are changed last minute? It’s just weird that he’d schedule a shopping trip with Okaa-san when he already knew that we had this outing with you, ya know?’ He chewed his lip. ‘He said something about sales, but when I offered to tag along, he insisted that I come see you...Like...he didn’t want me there…’

‘I’m sure that’s not it at all,’ Iruka reassured with a soft smile. ‘He knows you get jittery around shopping. I’m sure he was trying to spare you the trouble.’

Naruto contemplated what his father just said. ‘Hm...maybe...but it’s never a trouble to spend time with Sasuke and Hotaru.’

‘And he knows that.’ Iruka placed his hand over Naruto’s. ‘I’m sure he was thinking of you when he said it.’

‘I guess…’

That conversation came to an end when their food arrived and both, Naruto’s and Iruka’s stomachs growled simultaneously. They laughed to themselves as they dug in with vigour.

∞

Naruto certainly had not been expecting anything when he arrived home that evening; a fulfilling day with his adoptive father had pushed all his worries to the back of his mind. Despite spending the whole day out, he felt relaxed and energized, and he came home with a deep longing to see his daughter and partner.

The first thing that struck him was the smell; aromatic, floral. Naruto felt his jaw drop. The living room was gorgeously decked out in an assortment of Naruto’s favourite flowers; sunflowers and roses amongst the other various plants they had in their space. And in the middle of it all, stood Sasuke with Hotaru in his arms, watching him watch them.

‘Ow, fuck,’ he cried out; he’d been so struck by the scene before him, he had forgotten where he was standing.

‘You okay?’ Sasuke asked, even though Naruto could hear the suppressed laughter in his tone.

With a glare towards the door, Naruto replied, while rubbing his back, ‘What a mood kill.’ He pulled the door shut and locked it.

‘I’ll say.’

Naruto’s hand tightened on the bag that held the three mugs he’d made. ‘Sasuke, what’s all this?’ Naruto could hardly believe his eyes. Sasuke had often commented that Naruto’s plants were getting out of hand, that they took up more space in the house than the rest of their furniture—Naruto believed that was an exaggeration. He’d never complained that Naruto kept too many plants and even helped look after them, but Naruto knew that if Sasuke had it his way, there would be far fewer plants. So, to see their living room decorated this way, it was like something out of a magazine, or an Instagram post.

‘It’s for you,’ Sasuke smiled, ‘Happy Father’s Day.’

‘Oh.’ Happiness welled inside his heart, bubbling up and up until it spilled over his cheeks in the form of tears.

Sasuke looked stricken. ‘What—’ He looked back and forth between Naruto and the living room. ‘Is it bad? Shouldn’t I have—’

‘No, no,’ Naruto sniffed and wrapped his arms around Sasuke’s waist from the side. ‘It’s _perfect_. I love it so much.’ He buried his face into Sasuke’s neck with a watery laugh. Pulling back only when he was able to gather himself. ‘Thank you,’ he whispered, kissing Sasuke softly first before leaning down to place a kiss to his daughter’s forehead. Pulling away fully, Naruto said, ‘Hang on. Let me take a quick shower first. I’m all grimy from the pottery and stuff.’

He rushed to the bathroom without waiting to hear if Sasuke had anything to say. The guilt and embarrassment for doubting Sasuke earlier settled in the pit of his stomach and Naruto silently berated himself for it as he quickly showered and dressed.

As soon as he was done, he rushed back into the living room and enveloped his little family in a big bear hug. ‘I love you both so much. Thank you for doing this.’ Hotaru giggled from her place; trapped between the two of them.

‘Well, I didn’t do much,’ Sasuke muttered, relinquishing Hotaru to Naruto’s arms. ‘It was all her...with some help from Kaa-san and your friends.’ He picked up Kurama when the cat came scratching up his leg, needy for attention.

Naruto gave an over-exaggerated gasp, tickling his baby’s tummy. ‘Really? Was all this your doing, princess?’

Sasuke grinned. ‘She’s the one who made you a father.’

‘You did,’ Naruto cooed to her, putting her down on the sofa and blowing raspberries into her belly. Hotaru squealed in laughter. When he looked up, he found Sasuke watching them both adoringly. Reaching out and tangling their fingers together, Naruto brought Sasuke’s hand to his lips. ‘This...All this is so perfect. Thank you.’

Cheeks turned rosy, Sasuke shot him a side-smile. He cleared his throat. ‘You should open your presents.’

Naruto’s eyes lit up. ‘You guys got me presents?’ Putting Kurama back down, Sasuke handed him a box from their coffee table. Naruto accepted it with misty eyes, after helping Hotaru into a sitting position. ‘Aw, you shouldn’t have.’ The wrapping paper was beautiful and not wanting to ruin it, he unwrapped it with as much care as he could muster. It revealed a plain, brown box, and within were three cable-knit sweaters. In three different colours; orange, red, and yellow. With letters adorning the front of each one. ‘Matching sweaters for the three of us?’ Naruto croaked as his voice cracked.

‘Yeah.’ Sasuke nodded, ‘Kaa-san knit them, so they’re one of a kind. Of course,’ he continued, ‘it’s the wrong season for sweaters, but she made Hotaru’s one a little big, so she’ll grow into hers by winter and well, I knew you’d like having matchi—’

Naruto shut his babbling by pulling him into a kiss, sliding his hand through Sasuke’s silky, soft hair. ‘I love it,’ he said once they parted. ‘And have I told you how much I love you?’

‘I won’t mind it if you told me more,’ Sasuke smiled. He grazed Naruto’s cheek with the back of his fingers.

Naruto chuckled and said, ‘I love you,’ kissing him once again. ‘Wait…’ A thought occurred to him as they separated, and he pulled Hotaru back into his lap. ‘You told me you were going shopping with Okaa-san today. You didn’t—You planned all this?...Did my dad know, too? He knew, didn’t he?’

‘Iruka knew.’

Naruto gasped. ‘I knew it! I knew there was something up when you cancelled last minute. That was so out of character for you.’

‘Did you now?’

‘I did.’ Naruto wagged his finger at Sasuke. ‘You can’t fool me, mister. I know you just as much as you know me. Maybe more’

‘Hn. You wish,’ Sasuke said. ‘But it worked.’

‘Huh?’

‘You were surprised…’

The elated bubble hadn’t left his chest. But there was also the guilt from his conversation with Iruka. ‘I—’ Naruto bit his lip. ‘It was stupid, but I got worried when you changed our plans like that. I thought you’d gone off me or something.’

‘Yes, that was stupid.’ Sasuke scoffed and rolled his eyes.

Naruto had every right to feel affronted as he did. ‘How could y—’

‘There’s no way I could _ever_ go off you, Usuratonkachi,’ Sasuke told him with such straightforwardness, it raised the hairs on Naruto’s arms and legs.

‘How can you be so sure?’ he questioned quietly. Because nobody could be that certain...right?

‘Because I’ve loved you for so long, Naruto, that if it were to happen, it would have already.’ Sasuke’s face was serious but his eyes were earnest and brimming with the love he spoke of. And Naruto knew that even if he were to drown in their depths, he’d go happily.

‘Oh,’ he said suddenly, before he could start crying again, ‘I got you guys something, too.’ He stood up with Hotaru in his arms and went to fetch the mugs from the bedroom. ‘Happy Father’s Day to you, too,’ he said to Sasuke as he pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

‘It’s not perfect,’ he added, handing the bag to his partner, ‘Keep in mind it was my first time.’

Sasuke pulled out the three misshapen mugs from the bag. ‘So Iruka really did take you to a pottery class,’ he mused with a smirk.

At this point, Naruto wasn’t even surprised that they’d discussed all the details beforehand. So, he couldn’t understand why he was pouting.

‘They’re cute.’

‘Che. Don’t patronize me, jerk.’

‘No, really,’ Sasuke insisted. ‘They’re cute, Naruto. Thank you.’

* * *

Hotaru was crying.

The sound was loud and distressing.

And there was nothing Sasuke could do about it.

He groaned and pulled his blanket tighter around himself. He couldn’t possibly relax in this situation, even if he wanted to.

He had been bedridden—or rather, _couch-ridden_ since he had to keep away from the baby—for a day and a half due to a bug he’d contracted from someone at the university—probably a student. His TA had been sniffling the last time he saw her.

It frustrated him because he couldn’t even help during Hotaru's time of distress.

Sluggishly he raised the spoonful of hot chicken soup to his lips and tried to force himself to look after himself. Hearing Hotaru sobbing in the room, he couldn’t concentrate on food. The sound saddened him. Abandoning the soup on the coffee table, he discarded the blanket on the couch, determined to see his _sweet pea_. 

The door was ajar, allowing Sasuke to peer into the room without disturbing the pair within. He found Naruto seated on the rocking chair with Hotaru in his arms. She was being gently rocked back and forth. Her cooling teething toys had been discarded to the side, instead, Naruto was gently massaging her gums with his index finger.

Hotaru seemed to like it as she appeared to have stopped crying for now.

Sasuke never thought that babies teething could be so distressing for his nerves. His heart broke every time Hotaru cried, knowing that there wasn’t much he could do to help her.

‘Sasuke?’ Naruto called softly, noticing him standing awkwardly by the door. 

‘Hey,’ said Sasuke. It came out strange due to his nasal congestion. ‘How’s she doing?’

‘Better than you, I’m sure,’ said Naruto, knowing and sharing Sasuke's feelings about the matter. ‘Did you finish your soup?’

Sasuke’s hesitation was enough of an answer.

‘Go finish it then,’ said Naruto in a slightly scolding tone. He stood up with his baby finally asleep in his arms and carefully placed her in her crib, before shepherding Sasuke away from the door. ‘C’mon Sasuke, you have to get better if you are to be with Hotaru again.’

‘I know that,’ grumbled Sasuke, but returned to his seat when Naruto led him to it and accepted the soup that was handed to him.

The moment Sasuke had shown signs of illness, Naruto had offered the bed to him. Saying that he would take the couch because it made sense for Sasuke to be more comfortable. But Sasuke had refused. Hotaru had gotten into the habit of sleeping in their bed and he didn’t want this time to be difficult on her by forcing her to stay in her crib when she so clearly needed to be close to her father.

Naruto tucked the blankets back around him and pecked his forehead before going to the kitchen to fetch a cup of tea for himself.

‘Do you think our parents felt like this when we were babies and teething?’ Sasuke wondered aloud as Naruto came to join him on the couch. He perched himself beside Sasuke, facing him.

‘Well, I don’t have much knowledge or memories about what my parents did, but I imagine it can’t have been too different from us right now.’

Sasuke hummed in agreement. 

‘But since you’re the second child I guess your parents would have had more experience on what to do.’ Naruto smiled while reaching out and placing a hand to Sasuke’s forehead, silently gauging his temperature.

Naruto’s hand was warm and comforting and Sasuke missed it the moment it was retracted. ‘Probably,’ he said. ‘I don’t remember ever asking.’ He ate a little bit more of his soup, now in a hurry to get it down before it got cold. ‘You called Shizune today?’

‘Yeah, she told me to give Hotaru some ibuprofen for babies if the pain becomes too much.’ Naruto replied. ‘I’ll go to the pharmacy later to get some. We can get more cold medicine for you, too.’

Sasuke downed the last of his soup and Naruto set the bowl aside. ‘This sucks. I can’t believe I got sick during the time when Hotaru needs me.’ He pouted and leaned back into the couch, with his arms folded across his chest.

Looking sympathetic, Naruto tried to comfort him by rubbing his knee. ‘I don’t think there’s ever going to be a time when she doesn’t need you, so focus on getting better first.’

The heat that rises in his cheeks had got nothing to do with his cold. ‘She’s not the only one I miss, you know,’ mumbled Sasuke.

‘I miss you too, babe. Get better and I’ll give you the best-damned kiss you’ve ever had as a reward!’ Naruto winked and laughed.

Feeling the smile that curved his lips, Sasuke lifted a hand and cupped Naruto’s face, his thumb rubbing gently under Naruto’s eye. ‘Look at this,’ he tutted, ‘You’ve dark circles from not sleeping.’

Naruto’s own hand came up to cup Sasuke’s over his. ‘It’s not like I can sleep when she stays up crying,’ he mumbled.

‘I know,’ agreed Sasuke, ‘But you should at least try to get some sleep now since she is asleep.’

Naruto nodded, bringing Sasuke’s hand down to his lap. ‘Yeah, but first I want to shower. I feel like I haven’t in days.’ He chuckled. ‘I’ll also call Okaa-san later. It sucks, but I need help.’

‘What? Why? You only need to worry about Hotaru. I can manage on my own.’

Naruto blinked at him a little skeptically. ‘Sure, okay, Sasuke…’ he said and Sasuke rolled his eyes. ‘If I could make clones of myself, I would be able to look after you both, but unfortunately, I can’t.’ He ran a hand through his hair. ‘Think you can stay awake for at least fifteen minutes for me to take that shower?’

‘Of course. Go on.’ Sasuke waved Naruto away. ‘I’ll keep an ear out for Hotaru.’ Naruto flashed him a grateful smile and rushed off.

∞

True to his word, Naruto had contacted Sasuke’s mother that same night and she more than happily showed up at their doorstep early the next morning, bearing a warm breakfast for both Naruto and Sasuke. Unfortunately, her presence also came with that of his brother and his brother’s fiancé.

‘Sorry to trouble you, Okaa-san,’ Naruto said to Mikoto as he greeted her at the door with a kiss on the cheek. ‘But you know how Sasuke gets when he’s sick.’ He winked at Sasuke as he said this and Sasuke responded with a rude finger in his direction. To which Naruto grinned.

‘Not at all, darling,’ she replied with a smile. With her back turned to Sasuke, she did not see his rude gesture. ‘Anything to spend more time with my granddaughter.’ Making her way over to Sasuke, she cooed, ‘How’s my baby doing?’

Outwardly, Sasuke grimaced at the address, but the little child within him reveled in it. ‘I’m alright, Kaa-san. It’s just a cold.’ Mikoto ran a loving hand through his hair.

‘That’s right, but we all know you can both downplay and be a big baby about being sick at the same time,’ Itachi piped in.

‘I think you’re mistaking me for yourself, Nii-san,’ Sasuke shot back easily with a glare at his older brother. ‘What are you doing here anyway?’

‘Okay, okay,’ said Shisui, his voice soothing, and placed a hand on Itachi’s back before he could say anything else. ‘Let’s not get Sasuke all riled up. He should be resting.’

Just as Sasuke opened his mouth to retort, Naruto emerged from the kitchen, bringing with him a tray laden with a bowl of broth and a plate with a few pieces of soft bread. ‘Okaa-san made the broth for you,’ he said as he settled the tray on Sasuke’s lap. ‘It’ll definitely be better than my flimsy soups.’

Their hands lingered when he accepted the tray. Warm and gentle. 

‘I’m not an invalid, Naruto,’ Sasuke grumbled quietly, ignoring how the aroma of the food made his stomach rumble, ‘You don’t have to wait on me hand and foot.’

Naruto grinned. ‘But you like it when I wait on you…’

‘That’s—’ Sasuke pulled his bottom lip between his teeth before dropping his voice to a whisper so only Naruto could hear, ‘—besides the point.’

‘And,’ he chuckled, ‘as your boyfriend, it’s part of my job.’ Leaning in, he planted a soft kiss to Sasuke’s forehead. ‘It makes me happy to do this.’

If anyone noticed how that admission caused the heat to build in the high points of Sasuke’s cheeks, they didn’t comment.

After that everyone went about their day; Itachi and Shisui helped tidy their flat while Mikoto helped Naruto with Hotaru, giving him tips on what to do to make her more comfortable during this period. She would be staying with them for a few days because Naruto needed to get back to work and Sasuke was in no shape to tend to Hotaru either.

‘So,’ Itachi said to him a little later in the day as he settled beside him. Shisui and Naruto were holed up in the kitchen preparing lunch for the group, while Mikoto watched Hotaru. ‘You and Naruto, huh?’

It had been nearly a month since Sasuke and Naruto made their relationship public—almost as soon as they got together—but due to their work schedules and Sasuke’s responsibilities towards Hotaru, he and Itachi hadn’t gotten the chance to talk. Which, up until now, Sasuke had been perfectly happy with. He knew his brother had been wary of him volunteering to help Naruto raise his daughter. His brother’s overprotectiveness oftentimes knew no bounds. He wasn’t sure how Itachi would react to his and Naruto’s relationship.

‘I have to admit, I didn’t think it would happen. I was so worried this arrangement would lead to you getting your heart broken,’ Itachi explained, looking a little sombre. He placed his hand over Sasuke’s and gave it a squeeze. ‘But I’m really happy for you, Otouto.’ His lips gently curved upwards. ‘And I apologise for not being supportive from the start.’

Placing his other hand over Itachi’s, Sasuke said, ‘Thank you, Nii-san...And you have nothing to apologise for. I know you were just being my big brother and looking out for me.’ Itachi tugged him into a hug and Sasuke was taken back to all the times during his childhood when he had sought out Itachi’s warmth as a source of comfort. Since their father’s passing, they had grown apart. It was something that saddened Sasuke more than he liked to admit, but he also knew most of it was due to his own transgressions.

‘Nii-san, you probably shouldn’t hug me so tight,’ Sasuke said after a moment, ‘It wouldn’t do Shisui Nii-san any good if you caught my bug.’

‘After watching Naruto look after you, I don’t think I would mind being pampered by Shisui for a while,’ Itachi laughed.

‘Am I catching Sasuke’s cold, or are my ears burning because someone’s talking about me,’ Shisui called out from where he was setting the dining table.

‘Fortunately, the latter,’ replied his fiancé, smiling and standing up to help him.

‘Well, as long as it’s all good things,’ said Shisui, softly kissing Itachi on his cheek.

Sasuke smiled quietly from where he was watching them. They were so obviously in love, and Itachi was happy. He had known Shisui since he was a child, and agreed that if anyone deserved his brother, it was him. 

Continuing to watch them, he saw Shisui whisper something to Itachi, who nodded before he returned to Sasuke’s side.

‘Anything the matter?’ asked Sasuke with curiosity.

‘No, Shisui just said that he and Naruto have everything covered,’ replied Itachi. ‘And this gives me time to talk to you about something.’

The expression on Itachi’s face was serious but soft, and Sasuke could tell that it was something of great importance to his brother. Turning to give him his full attention, Sasuke asked, ‘What is it?’

‘You know that it hasn’t been long since Shisui and I got engaged,’ said Itachi, and Sasuke nodded. ‘But neither of us want to wait too long for the wedding.’

‘Eager to get going?’ chuckled Sasuke, elbowing him playfully.

‘Sort of,’ laughed Itachi, jabbing him back. ‘But you know how it is with Shisui’s work. We just want to be sure we never have any regrets.’ 

He cast his eyes downward and Sasuke knew; this wasn’t just about Shisui risking his life every time his work as a firefighter called for it. This was because of their father and how they lost him without warning which _did_ leave their family full of regrets. He understood never wanting to experience that again.

‘Anyway, we were thinking of a winter wedding, and,’ Itachi took Sasuke’s hand in his. ‘I was hoping you would be my best man.’

The first thing Sasuke felt was surprise, and then immediately a rush of warmth flowed throughout his body. ‘Yes, of course!’ Sasuke grinned. ‘I would be honoured!’ 

Itachi pulled him into a hug that Sasuke welcomed. ‘Thank you, Sasuke.’ He touched their foreheads together for a tender moment before getting up and going into the kitchen. To tell Shisui, Sasuke assumed.

Sasuke smiled after his brother. When left alone, he got up to go check on Hotaru and was surprised to find Naruto there instead of his mother. He was gently petting the head of his daughter, who slumbered in her cot, and softly cooing his affection for her. The curtains were drawn to keep the room dark, and the only light source being the lamp by Hotaru’s crib causing Naruto’s face to be illuminated with an earthy amber glow that had Sasuke struck by how ethereal he looked.

‘Sasuke,’ Naruto’s voice calls for his attention. ‘Ready for lunch?’

‘Yeah,’ Sasuke smiled, still full of warmth, and Naruto automatically smiles with him.

‘C’mon, my love,’ coos Naruto, stroking Sasuke’s cheek gently as he passed, and leading the way to the dining table where their family was waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do let me know what you think. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, um... sorry this took so long... I've been going through some crap and got hit with writer's block for a while.  
> Also, the chapter count has gone up again because I suck at keeping things brief. :P
> 
> Still... hope you like it~ <3

After a refreshing bath, Naruto emerged from the bathroom to find Sasuke lounging on the living room floor, glasses perched on his nose, and dressed in one of Naruto’s t-shirts and a threadbare pair of shorts. He had his laptop open, with papers strewn across the coffee table. The TV was turned on, too, for background noise.

Leaving his towel to dry, draped on a hanger in the bedroom, he stepped into the living room.

Hotaru was sitting in her playpen chewing on her toy key-ring and gurgling happily. Beside her was Kurama curled into a croissant. They had tried but never succeeded to get Kurama to sleep anywhere else whenever Hotaru was in the playpen; he always napped beside her like her own little protector.

Leaning in, Naruto dropped a kiss to the top of her head and gave his cat a scratch behind the ears before making his way over to Sasuke. ‘Grading assignments?’ he asked, settling behind him with his legs on either side of Sasuke’s hips. He rested his chin on Sasuke’s shoulder and watched his boyfriend work.

‘Hn,’ Sasuke grunted unhappily.

He heard plenty of times how grading assignments was one of the two things Sasuke hated most about his job. Second only to grading exams. Maybe he needed a distraction, he sniggered to himself.

‘What’s so funny?’ Sasuke questioned, obviously having felt the chuckle rumble against his back.

‘Oh, nothing,’ Naruto replied, settling more comfortably against Sasuke’s back. He waited until Sasuke’s focus was back on his work before making his move. Reaching out as discreetly as he could, he wrapped one arm around Sasuke’s midriff to hold him and softly glided the fingertips of his other hand along the inside of his thigh.

‘Fuck,’ Sasuke cursed softly as he jerked against Naruto’s hold. Immediately, he dropped his hand to grip Naruto’s wrist. ‘Stop, idiot. I’m trying to work.’

‘Mm…But you’ve been at it for some time now,’ Naruto murmured against his neck, feeling the man shiver. ‘You need a break.’ His eyebrow waggle went unnoticed by the person they were intended for.

‘Not _this_ kind of break,’ Sasuke hissed, pinching Naruto’s thigh. ‘And especially not with Hotaru sitting right there.’

Naruto glanced towards his daughter, who had abandoned her key-ring and was now trying to hold down Kurama’s fluffy tail, giggling whenever it moved away from her reach.

‘I was only going to give you a massage.’ Naruto smiled coyly, and with feigned surprise, gasped dramatically, ‘What did you think I was going to do, Sasuke?’ He tutted.

‘Usuratonkachi.’ Sasuke rolled his eyes, making Naruto laugh.

‘Y’know,’ he began, nibbling Sasuke’s earlobe before he was swatted away, ‘we haven’t really spent much time with each other since we got together. And fooling around whenever we get the chance doesn’t count.’

‘Hn. Well, there’s not much we can do with a baby in the house,’ Sasuke replied matter-of-factly. He went back to his grading.

Naruto hummed in thought. ‘Maybe we can ask Itachi to watch her for a night.’

Sasuke’s pen clattered onto the table. ‘Hell no! We are not asking _my brother_ of all people to babysit Hotaru just so we can have sex…I will never hear the end of it.’

‘Ah, right…okay then, not Itachi…maybe one of our friends…or I could ask Iruka,’ Naruto mumbled to himself. ‘Although, that’d be pretty weird, too.’

‘Don’t you have something else to do besides bother me?’ Sasuke asked, lightly elbowing him in the ribs.

‘Nope,’ Naruto answered with a chuckle.

Sasuke’s frame sagged along with the sigh he let out. It would sound like he was frustrated to an outsider, but Naruto knew it was just Sasuke being Sasuke; it never meant he was angry. ‘Fine, I give.’ He turned slightly so he could look back at Naruto without craning his neck. ‘What is it you want to do?’

‘Well—’ Naruto tried to say before Sasuke’s hand clamped over his mouth.

‘Not that.’

Naruto grinned when Sasuke took his hand back, allowing him to speak. His boyfriend was so easy to mess with. ‘Nothing really,’ he admitted finally. ‘I just want to hang out with you…just be together…’

Sasuke seemed to mull over Naruto’s words. ‘Tell you what, since it’s almost bedtime for Hotaru, why don’t you get her settled with her bottle, while I finish up here…Afterwards, we can hang out. Do anything you want.’

‘Really?’

‘I promise.’

‘Okay, then,’ Naruto cheered and with a quick peck to Sasuke’s cheek, hurried to do just that.

∞

With a lengthy bedtime story and her bottle of milk, Naruto managed to get Hotaru to sleep. It was a trick he learned a few weeks back when Sasuke had to travel to Kumo for a seminar. He’d left a recording of him singing to play to Hotaru in case she had trouble falling asleep since it was something that had become routine to her. But wanting to try something new, Naruto had settled with her on the rocking chair and a book in hand. He’d read to her, with her listening intently for a good six minutes until sleep slowly overtook her. It had been adorable—and a huge relief—to watch her eyes droop closed as she fell asleep in his arms.

He had been so excited that he immediately called Sasuke, right after he placed her in her crib, to tell him what happened. Sasuke had sounded thrilled to hear it. Hotaru needed to get used to alternate methods to help her sleep.

‘All okay?’ Sasuke asked from the doorway to Hotaru’s bedroom, startling Naruto out of his reminiscing.

‘Ah, yeah…’ he whispered as Sasuke moved closer, coming to stand beside Naruto. ‘She’s fast asleep.’

‘She’s becoming more like you every day,’ Sasuke mused quietly with a soft smile gracing his lips. He kissed his fingertips and touched them to Hotaru’s tiny hand curled beside her face. Witnessing that endearing action caused Naruto’s heart to erupt and the elation coursed through his body, from his chest to the very tips of his fingers and toes.

‘You really think so?’ he questioned; voice thick with emotion.

‘Mm-hm…Except, on her it’s cute.’ He smirked impishly and Naruto had to bite his cheek to hold back his response to avoid waking his little girl.

Instead, he mouthed, ‘Fuck you.’

Sasuke covered his snigger behind his palm.

With a roll of his eyes, Naruto grabbed Sasuke’s wrist and dragged him out of the room.

* * *

It had been a minute and a half since the apartment was full of voices, apart from the cry or laughter of a baby and their general conversation. Sasuke supposed it was a nice change; a break from their life that was getting somewhat routine-like. Naruto, especially, was happy, which in-turn made Sasuke happy as well.

As expected, Naruto was seated amongst the throng of his friends, with Hotaru on his lap, in just as much ease as her father in the centre of a crowd. Naruto cracked a joke, and everyone laughed. It was a picture-perfect scene, thought Sasuke, and snuck a quick photo on his phone.

‘You’ve certainly made a nice home together,’ Kiba’s voice sounded at his side, startling him. The man grinned and took a sip of his drink.

‘Thanks.’ Sasuke smiled back. ‘Can’t deny that I have been lucky to be included in Naruto’s and Hotaru’s lives,’ he confessed. 

‘Trust me, it’s no surprise that you are,’ said Kiba. ‘Even if Hotaru wasn’t there to help, you’d still be.’

There was something strange about that line. ‘What do you—’ began Sasuke, but he had already lost Kiba’s attention.

‘Oi, Naruto, where’s the rest of the beer?’ he called out to the second host.

‘In the kitchen, dude, where else would it be,’ replied Naruto, but stood up when Kiba shrugged. He passed his daughter to Shikamaru, who was seated beside him, before walking over to them. ‘Jeez, Kiba. Why are you so dependent?’ he mock-scolded him before leading the way into the kitchen.

Sasuke watched Hotaru being bounced on Shikamaru’s knee and listened to her giggle as Sakura made silly faces from the next seat. There was still no baby bump, but Sakura’s hand was always resting on her stomach; after months of trying, she was finally pregnant. He assumed that her visits would ease since she would be having a child of her own in a little more than half a year, but Sakura was even more eager to spend time with Hotaru. She called it practice for when her own baby came. Sasuke didn’t mind so much; in a way, he was grateful, because it allowed Naruto and himself time alone when they needed it.

He made a mental note to ask Naruto if they should throw her a baby shower, or if that was Ino’s privilege.

‘Look, baby girl!’ Sakura cooed as Sasuke approached. ‘Sasuke-papa is here.’

Hotaru trilled in excitement at the sight of him. He dropped a kiss on her head to appease her, before turning to his guests. ‘Need anything?’ he asked, playing host. He took the empty glass that Sakura was nursing out of her hand. ‘Another mocktail for you?’

‘Yes, please, you doll,’ she beamed. ‘Thank heavens for the invention of mocktails! I don’t know how I would be able to live through pregnancy without it.’

‘You’ve only been pregnant for two months,’ Sasuke rolled his eyes but shot her a quick smile to assure her that he was teasing.

He took the glass to the kitchen but hesitated right outside when he overheard the conversation wafting through the arched doorway.

‘…after all, when Hotaru grows up she’ll have the right to demand appreciation from you,’ he heard Kiba’s chuckling voice. 

‘What do you mean?’ Naruto’s smiling voice followed.

‘Hotaru is a big reason why you and Sasuke started dating, right.’ It wasn’t a question, but a statement. ‘You guys have been roommates since college, and nothing happened. She’s the catalyst that made you see the chemistry you had! You can’t deny that.’

Sasuke stilled. Technically, Kiba wasn’t wrong. He and Naruto had been roommates for a long time, and while Sasuke had loved Naruto for even longer than that, Naruto didn’t— _hadn’t_ reciprocated. He never expected him to either, until he did—after Hotaru was born.

Naruto’s chuckle drew his attention. ‘Yeah, I guess I can’t.’

His stomach plummeted at the verification.

‘Who’s to say what would have happened if Hotaru didn’t arrive when she did.’

He stepped away from the kitchen entranceway. 

Sasuke’s head felt heavy. He couldn’t think. He looked up into the crowd to find an anchor—to find Hotaru—but couldn’t. 

Everything was too loud, deafening. He managed to find the dining table and discarded Sakura’s glass atop it.

A gentle touch at his elbow drew his attention, allowing him a moment of focus. 

‘Sasuke-kun, are you okay?’ Hinata gently asked him, her eyebrows knotted in concern.

‘Hotaru. Where is she?’ asked Sasuke.

‘With Sakura-chan; she needed a diaper change,’ said Hinata quickly. ‘Are you okay, Sasuke-kun?’ she asked again.

He was grateful. But he also knew his mind would spiral again in the crowd the moment he lost his focus.

‘Yes, Hinata.’ Sasuke’s voice was steady if not clear. ‘I just need to go...to get...ice. We’re all out.’ 

She studied him silently. ‘I’ll come with you.’

‘Thank you, but I can manage.’ He smiled in what he hoped was reassuring and remembered something just before he left. ‘Could you please get Sakura a mocktail?’

Hinata nodded and Sasuke grabbed his keys and left.

Outside, away from the noise, it was better. It was late enough that there weren’t many people around either. Sasuke walked slowly, but with purpose. He managed to make it to the 24/7 open convenience store and bought a bag of the ice.

He barely registered making the purchase. 

Before he knew it, he was standing in front of his apartment building. He looked up at the many, many levels. Most of the windows were already dark, but quite a few of them were still lit. From this position, he couldn’t see the apartment he shared with his little family.

But he knew the crowd that awaited him, and he turned away.

The next time he took notice of his surroundings, he realised his feet had brought him to the playground. He had been here often; Hotaru liked playing in the sandpit. This time Sasuke chose to take a seat on the swing set. It was always a favourite with children and was never at rest when they came to the park.

He set the bag of ice he still had with him down to rest against the frame and took a seat in the corner-most swing. 

Swaying back and forth aimlessly was almost soothing. As he relaxed, he was able to think.

The conversation he had overheard came to mind. Sasuke was not surprised by what Kiba said. The man was presumptuous and sometimes spoke without thinking. He had to admit that he never really gave much thought to how their relationship had progressed. He loved Naruto, and Naruto's confession to loving him as well was more than he ever dared to ask.

Nevertheless, it was Naruto’s reply to Kiba’s statements that shocked him. What would they have been, had Naruto never become a father? Would Naruto seriously have not considered Sasuke as anything more than a friend?

No matter how long and hard he sat there thinking, there was nothing to conclude.

With a heavy sigh, Sasuke got back onto his feet and grabbed the ice bag off the floor. It was a feat in and of itself to slowly put one foot in front of the other, but somehow, he managed his way back home.

* * *

‘There you go, it’s right here under the counter,’ said Naruto, pulling a canned beer out of the cooler.

‘Right you are,’ Kiba blinked. ‘Perhaps I should hold off on any more drinks; I must be drunk.’

Naruto laughed at his friend’s self-awareness. ‘As you wish. One of the others can drop you home or you could just crash here if you still want to drink.’

The latter option was immediately dismissed. ‘No way! I would never stay in a baby’s house while drunk.’

‘Well, thanks for the consideration,’ said Naruto, popping open the can for himself. ‘Coffee?’ He held up the kettle and put it on when Kiba nodded.

‘I was telling Sasuke earlier,’ said Kiba, conversationally. ‘You’ve done really well for yourself, Sasuke and Hotaru.’ 

‘Yeah?’

‘After you told us you were going to be a dad, a lot of us were really worried, even if we didn’t show it,’ nodded Kiba. ‘I’m really proud of you.’ The hug that followed was surprising but not unwelcome.

Kiba was one of Naruto’s more brash friends, but he was the sentimental type when drunk. Naruto loved those little idiosyncrasies about his friends.

‘But,’ said he, holding him out at arm's length. ‘You had better treat your daughter well. After all, when Hotaru grows up she’ll have the right to demand appreciation from you.’ 

‘What do you mean?’ Naruto passed the mug of hot, black coffee to his friend.

‘Hotaru is a big reason why you and Sasuke started dating, right?’ Kiba hopped onto an island stool and hummed happily with the first sip of the brew. ‘You guys have been roommates since college, but nothing happened. She’s the catalyst that made you see the chemistry you had! You can’t deny that.’

Naruto paused as he thought about it. Hotaru had definitely brought to light feelings that he hadn’t quite been aware of. ‘Yeah, I guess I can’t.’ He chuckled and said, ‘Who’s to say what would have happened if Hotaru didn’t arrive when she did.’

‘Right?’ Kiba grinned. 

‘Though, y’know…not to sound cheesy but, I think we were always meant to be.’ Naruto felt his cheeks warm and stomach flutter even as he thought about it. ‘Even if Hotaru hadn’t been in our lives, I still think we would have wound up together—might’ve taken me a little longer to realise my feelings though.’

‘That’s probably true,’ laughed Kiba. ‘But you’re such a dunce, you’d probably have kept Sasuke waiting until he was sixty!’

With a roll of his eyes at the jab, Naruto left Kiba in the kitchen and headed back to the living room to find his partner, overcome with a sudden urge to give him a kiss. However, hard as he looked, Sasuke was nowhere to be found.

‘Sakura-chan, have you seen Sasuke?’ he asked her as she came out of Hotaru’s room, carrying his baby in her arms.

‘No,’ said Sakura, handing Hotaru over to him. ‘I was changing Hotaru’s diaper. Bathroom?’

‘I’ve already been,’ he replied, perplexed why she would ask him that.

‘No, you idiot.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Maybe Sasuke’s in the bathroom.’

Oh.

He wasn’t there. Naruto had checked. He shook his head, worry beginning to bubble in his gut.

He was so distracted he didn’t even notice Hinata come up to them until she spoke.

‘Sakura-chan, Sasuke-kun asked me to give this to you,’ said she, handing her a mocktail.

‘Thanks! I wondered about that.’ Sakura accepted it gratefully. 

‘Have you seen Sasuke?’ asked Naruto casually, so as not to betray his concern.

Hinata nodded slowly, her slim eyebrows knotting together. Her obvious worry did nothing to ease him. ‘He left a while ago. To get ice.’

_Ice? But we’re fully stocked._ Naruto felt both women staring at him, and the last thing he wanted was for concern to spread. At least not yet. ‘Right. That’s fine then.’

Naruto excused himself, after passing Hotaru, who was starting to look a little sleepy, back to Sakura, and hurriedly went to find privacy in his bedroom. 

Whipping his phone out of his pocket, he quickly called Sasuke. 

His heart sank when he heard the phone ringing from Sasuke’s bedside table.

Leaving without his phone, or a word, was so unlike him, but Naruto forced any negative thoughts out of his mind. Chances are, as much as Sasuke loved their friends, he needed a little air. There was no reason to worry.

He hoped.

With those thoughts held firmly, he went back out to his guests.

But Sasuke didn’t return. 

Not until after Naruto had put Hotaru to bed, and all their guests left within two hours after that.

Naruto made himself busy cleaning the place. However, his friends were considerate enough to offer their help with that, so there wasn’t much to do anyway.

Instead, Naruto had a shower and made himself a mug of black tea, which he took with him to the living room to wait.

Sasuke returned half an hour later. 

The lock turning announced his arrival, but Naruto didn’t get up from his seat to welcome him.

He had been so worried about his boyfriend’s disappearance. Having to entertain their guests alone while concealing his concerns was exhausting. By the time the key rattled in the lock, his upset came bubbling to the surface in the form of anger.

All of those feelings dispelled instantly when Sasuke’s face came into view—his expression morose, and Naruto was on his feet immediately.

‘Sasuke, where did you _go_!’ cried Naruto. ‘Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been!’

Something was definitely wrong; Sasuke wouldn’t even meet his gaze.

‘I went to get ice,’ he said matter-of-factly.

Naruto took notice of the large plastic packet he had with him, but there was no sign of ice. His eyebrow arched. ‘You sure about that, babe?’

Sasuke looked down at the bag of water and frowned. ‘Well, it was ice when I bought it.’

‘Right,’ Naruto rolled his eyes, before grabbing the man by the shoulders. ‘You were gone for just about four hours. No note. No phone.’ He sighed. ‘Are you okay?’

Something flashed across Sasuke’s face, but then he brushed Naruto’s hands off his shoulders. ‘I’m great. Just fine. You didn’t have to stay up.’

He sounded so distant. 

‘What—’ Naruto floundered. ‘Of course, I—’ 

‘I need to shower, and you should go to bed.’

Just like that Naruto was left feeling alone, tired, and confused in his living room.

‘What the _hell_!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh! Trouble in paradise?
> 
> (Please don't hate me for the cliffhanger...)
> 
> Do let me know what you thought. ^^


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter to celebrate our beloved sunshine's special day!  
> Happy Birthday, Naruto~ <3 <3 <3
> 
> (This fic doesn't seem to want to end...Keeps going and going and going... :P)

‘What are you doing here?’ Sasuke demanded. He stared Naruto down from his place behind his desk.

Over the course of their friendship, the number of times Naruto had been to Sasuke’s office at the university were few and far between. And of those times, it had usually been to take Sasuke the lunch he had forgotten at home, or to rendezvous with him on the way to another destination.

Konoha University was as old as the city itself and its architecture reflected that. With high ceilings and wide hallways. Sasuke’s office mimicked this design, too. The large mahogany desk matched the door and window trim. The rich colour of the wood warmed up the space, as did the tall windows that let in plenty of natural light. 

Sasuke’s office was _his_ space. A place he went to whenever he wanted some time to himself, and Naruto never wanted to intrude on that. But Sasuke had been avoiding him at home for the past week and Naruto was at his wits’ end—he found he had no other choice. He needed to figure out what was bothering his best friend, his partner.

‘I wanted to see you,’ Naruto said as he shut the door behind him. ‘You’ve…been avoiding me.’

‘I haven’t,’ Sasuke immediately responded, but the lack of eye contact gave him away. Not that Naruto needed these cues to know that Sasuke had indeed been avoiding him. ‘Where’s Hotaru?’

‘With my dad. They’re having a grandfather-granddaughter day.’

‘Hn.’

‘So…’ Naruto prompted gently, taking a few steps closer towards Sasuke. ‘Want to tell me what’s bothering you?’

Sasuke scowled at his desk. ‘Nothing’s bothering me. I’m busy with work.’

Naruto sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought. He walked closer still, around the desk so he could stand beside Sasuke. As expected, Sasuke moved back, putting distance between them once again. ‘You’re avoiding me right now,’ he pointed out.

‘What the fuck, Naruto! How many times do I need to tell you I’m busy!’ Sasuke snapped, eyebrows furrowed and his tone irritated. But Naruto knew him well enough to notice that his lover’s beautiful coal-coloured eyes were exuding sadness. ‘I’m _working_. Respect that. I don’t come into your workplace during your busy hours and demand your attention.’

‘This—This was the only fucking way I could catch you!’ Naruto exclaimed, hating the way his voice cracked. But getting angry at Sasuke would cause more harm than good in this situation, so Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself. ‘You’re—upset about something…probably something I did…and I want to make it right. I love you, Sasuke, and if we want this to work, we can’t be keeping secrets from each other.’

‘Do you?’ sneered his lover. It was soft, said almost under his breath, but Naruto caught it and his eyes widened.

He was shocked. Despite what might have happened to cause Sasuke to pull away from him, he never thought it might be because of doubt for the way he felt for the other man.

‘Of course, I do.’

‘…Hn.’

‘Sasuke…’ Naruto’s heart ached for his love. He felt lost…stranded…not knowing what to do. He racked his brain trying to understand what could have made Sasuke feel this way, but he kept drawing blanks. ‘Why—’

‘Please go, Naruto,’ Sasuke said with insistence, his tone not unkind, but brusque in a way that didn’t leave room for argument. ‘I have a class to get to.’ He moved back to his desk and began to gather the items he required. ‘I’ll see you at home.’

With a long sigh, Naruto eventually relented. No matter how much he wanted to keep Sasuke in the room until they got to the root of the problem, he knew there would be little point. Sasuke could not be coerced into it; he had to come to it on his own terms.

‘Fine,’ he muttered, shoulders sagging. ‘See you at home.’

∞

After leaving the university, Naruto went to work, despite initially having taken the day off. His co-workers were surprised to see him there, but Naruto couldn’t trouble himself to explain. He knew he would be plagued with thoughts about Sasuke’s words if he didn’t focus all his attention on a set task and work was the best place to be distracted—since Hotaru was with her grandfather—by busying himself attending to a slew of customers. Going to see his friends was also out of the question. They would immediately take notice and demand him to tell them about what transpired, and he wanted to speak to no one until he had the chance to speak to Sasuke first.

Sasuke returned home, well past nine o’clock that evening, with a set look on his face. Hotaru had already been put to bed.

Not wanting to smother him, Naruto allowed him to take a shower first, spending the time waiting by fixing Sasuke a sandwich in case he was hungry.

Sasuke emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later with the towel draped over his head and a perturbed look on his face.

‘We’re out of hot water,’ Sasuke grumbled as he perched on the sofa. ‘I think the geyser might be malfunctioning.’

‘Oh,’ Naruto looked in the direction of their bathroom. ‘I’ll check it tomorrow…’ He eyed Sasuke’s form; he wasn’t shivering outright, but he was huddled into himself. ‘Did you bathe in cold water?’

‘Hn...towards the end.’

‘Fuck,’ he cursed under his breath and rushed to the bedroom to fetch Sasuke’s hairdryer—one of those bladeless, ridiculously expensive contraptions. ‘We need to dry your hair before you catch a cold,’ he said as he returned.

‘I can do that—’ Sasuke tried to protest, extending a hand for the hairdryer.

‘Let me,’ Naruto insisted. He wrapped his fingers around Sasuke’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. ‘Please? I want to.’

They stared at one another for a long, silent moment. With a barely noticeable slump in his shoulders, Sasuke relented. ‘...Fine.’

With a relieved smile, Naruto gave a gentle tug to Sasuke’s hand; his smile grew when the man followed without hesitation. Naruto led him to the dining table—where there was a plug point located—and gestured for Sasuke to sit.

Taking the towel into his hands, he gently squeezed the inky locks to soak up as much water as possible. After he was satisfied, he set aside the towel and proceeded to blow-dry Sasuke’s hair—holding it at a reasonable distance to avoid burning him.

For a while, a tense silence hovered over the two, save for the low hum of the hairdryer.

Naruto watched Sasuke from where he stood between the man’s legs. His head was bowed, so Naruto couldn’t see his face, but the hands that rested on his thighs were curved into light fists.

This awkwardness was nerve-wracking—so out of character for their friendship. Naruto didn’t remember a time when they ever chose to ignore an issue over confronting it outright. He hated it. But he also didn’t quite know how to breach the topic.

With Sasuke’s soft hair slipping through his fingers, Naruto’s mind worked a mile a minute as he thought about what to say. So caught up in the whirlwind of his thoughts that he almost missed Sasuke’s words, softly spoken coming up from underneath the whirring of the hairdryer.

‘—ouldn’t matter. It was stupid.’

‘What was?’ Naruto questioned. He immediately shut off the hairdryer to focus all his attention on his boyfriend.

‘It—’ Sasuke sighed, shoulders slumping. ‘It doesn’t matter now.’

‘Of course, it does,’ Naruto immediately interjected. He abandoned the hairdryer on the table and lowered himself to his knees so he could look into Sasuke’s eyes. With his hair mostly dry now, there was no more risk of Sasuke catching a cold. ‘Your feelings matter, Sasuke…even if they seem unreasonable.’ His hands cupped Sasuke’s face, a thumb rubbing tenderly over one sharp cheekbone. ‘Please tell me what it was that made you feel like I don’t love you?

‘Because you need to know it’s not true,’ Naruto continued. He needed Sasuke to understand just how much he meant to him. ‘I love you... _so much more_ than I can ever put into words. If I’m being honest, I’ve probably loved you for way longer than I’ve known.’

‘Naruto—’

‘You’re my favourite person in the whole world,’ Naruto continued to tell him. ‘You should know that.’

Sasuke's throat worked as he swallowed, eyes growing misty. ‘I—’ his voice cracked, filled with emotion and he pursed his lips. ‘You’re mine, too,’ he admitted quietly. He was looking away, eyes trained somewhere over Naruto’s shoulder, as he said it. Almost shy. Naruto couldn't help the smile that took over his whole face. It always felt great when Sasuke admitted how important Naruto was to him. ‘After Hotaru.’

Naruto’s smile faltered momentarily before moving into a full-blown grin, while a small one was mirrored on Sasuke’s face.

‘You ass,’ Naruto grumbled good-naturedly and leant in to press a brief kiss to Sasuke’s lips.

‘As if it’s not the same for you.’

‘You’re both equal to me,’ Naruto told him.

‘Like I’d believe that,’ his boyfriend scoffed with a roll of his eyes.

‘It’s true!’ insisted Naruto. ‘It’s like—a different kind of love—but equal. Y’know?’

‘You’re not making any sense,’ he quipped. He was teasing; its tell was evident in the soft curve of his lips, which meant that Sasuke was feeling better about whatever it was that troubled him. Naruto still wanted to know—Sasuke’s reaction to it wasn’t something he could ignore—but he decided to give Sasuke the chance to choose if he wanted to divulge or not.

He brushed back the hair that had fallen across Sasuke’s forehead, tucking the longer strands behind his ears. ‘So…’ he began, staring into those dark grey eyes, ‘I’d like if you’d tell me what happened earlier, but I’ll also totally understand if you don’t wanna.’

Pulling his lower lip between his teeth, Sasuke took a deep breath. ‘Let’s move.’

Naruto blinked in surprise. Of all the things, that was not what he expected him to say. ‘Move? Move where? What’s wrong with our apartme—’

Sasuke’s hand slapped over Naruto’s mouth, halting his slew of questions. ‘Move to the couch...or the bed,’ he said. ‘Kneeling like that can’t be good for your knees.’

‘You never seem to mind me kneeling during _other_ times,’ Naruto teased, loving the adorable flush that spread over his lover’s cheekbones at his words. He sniggered.

‘You—’ Sasuke clicked his tongue. ‘Just, come on.’ He stood, grabbed Naruto’s wrist, and yanked him to his feet as well, then proceeded to drag him over to the sofa.

They sat, side by side, as an odd silence fell around them, broken only by the jingle of Kurama’s bell from elsewhere within the house. Beside him, Sasuke fidgeted—in the way only Sasuke could fidget—hands clenched over his knees and that minute twitch in his left eyebrow. It was a strange kind of tension Naruto didn’t expect to ever experience with _Sasuke_ of all people. He wondered how he could ease it.

‘Sasuke,’ he started, turning slightly to face his boyfriend. He gently placed a hand over one of Sasuke’s. ‘You don’t have to force yourself to tell me now…or tell me, at all. It’s okay.’

‘It’s not,’ Sasuke said after a minute.

‘It is.’

‘No, it’s not,’ he said again, now looking straight into Naruto’s eyes. ‘If we want this to work, there can’t be any secrets, right?’

‘…Right.’ Naruto murmured, remembering the words he’d spoken earlier in the day. ‘But I only wanted to try and get you to talk to me. I don’t ever want to force you into anything. Besides, we’ve always managed to make it work…’ He trailed off, halted by the soft, knowing smile on Sasuke’s face.

‘Nevertheless, it’s true, what you said.’ Sasuke sighed. ‘In this case, as well, instead of talking to you about it, I ignored you and ended up hurting not only myself but you as well…Which was never what I wanted…So, I should tell you.’

‘…Okay.’

Taking another deep breath, Sasuke began to speak.

And as Naruto listened, trying to stay still to the best of his ability…all he could think was, ‘You idiot.’

Sasuke immediately stopped talking. ‘—Excuse me?’

‘Uh…’ Shit. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. But neither could he rescind. ‘You are such an idiot,’ he repeated, rolling his eyes at Sasuke’s cocked eyebrow. ‘And you call me one!’

‘I don—’

‘Why didn’t you just come to me instead of wallowing by yourself?’

‘We already established that I should have told you from the start,’ Sasuke uttered with a frown. ‘It was a miscalculation on my part…That’s why I’m telling you now.’

‘Idiot.’

‘Will you stop calling me that.’ He looked unamused.

Good. Because Naruto was not kidding around. ‘But you are! You didn’t even hear the whole conversation!’

Eyes narrowed, Sasuke questioned, ‘And what was the “whole conversation”?’

‘If you had continued to eavesdrop—and let’s not sugar-coat it,’ he added quickly when he saw the retort begin to form, ‘that’s exactly what you were doing—you’d have heard me say how I think you and I are meant to be. That…even without Hotaru, we would have ended up together…even if it took me forever to get to where you are…’

‘Oh.’ The sound was so soft, it was just a mere whisper of an exhale.

‘Yeah. _Oh_.’

Sasuke looked stunned. Speechless, almost. And in that moment, Naruto dearly wished Sasuke had overheard the whole conversation.

‘You, Sasuke, are sometimes your own worst enemy.’ Naruto shook his head and let out a sad sigh. ‘But…the fact that this affected you so much means that you’ve had your doubts.’ He slid closer and pulled the other man into his arms. ‘I’m sorry…’

‘It’s not your—’

Naruto pulled away just far enough to cup Sasuke’s cheeks, making him pause. ‘Just listen.’ When Sasuke didn’t say anything, he continued. ‘To be honest…until Kiba pointed it out, it never even crossed my mind. All I knew—all I _know_ is I love you. I’ve always loved you, even if I had no fucking idea.’ He chuckled. ‘Didn’t you ever notice how jealous all my partners were of you?’

‘Why the fuck would I be concerned about your exes?’ Sasuke sneered. It was no secret that Sasuke disliked every single one of Naruto’s previous relationships. He couldn’t fathom why at the time and brushed it off as the kind of person Sasuke was. But now he knew…

‘Most of our fights were about you,’ Naruto admitted with a small chuckle. It wasn’t something he had fully realised back then, but the more he thought about it, the more he understood how true that was.

Questions swirled in the depths of his eyes, but Sasuke seemed hesitant to voice them. ‘Why?’ he asked after a minute.

‘Because, to me, you always came first.’

There was a sharp inhale and Naruto found himself being pulled into Sasuke. Kisses, laced with a desperation that he felt echoing within him, pressed unspoken words to his lips as calloused fingers brushed over his cheeks, ears, and down the back of his neck. _I’m sorry_ , they said, _I’m sorry for pushing you away…You’re everything to me! I love you…I love you…I love you…_

Naruto’s own arms came around his lover’s body. Together, they fell back onto the sofa. Sasuke’s legs wrapped around Naruto’s hips.

They broke apart when the need to breathe arose, but Naruto didn’t pull away. He continued to let his actions do the talking, kissing Sasuke’s chin, nose, forehead. Wanting Sasuke to understand just how much he meant to him. _I’m sorry, too…I love you, too…_ He brushed his lips over his beloved’s cheek and came to a pause when he found it wet. He pulled back and opened his eyes.

Coal eyes stared back at him. The warm yellow lights highlighted the crystalline tracks spilt over pale cheeks.

‘Sasuke, what—’

‘It’s okay,’ he replied with a quiet sniff. ‘I’m okay.’ Blunt fingernails raked over Naruto’s scalp, causing him to shiver.

‘Did I—’

‘You didn’t hurt me.’ Sasuke’s eyes fell closed momentarily. When they opened again, the love Naruto saw resonating within their depths nearly consumed him. ‘I’m just really happy.’

‘Me, too,’ Naruto realised with a smile. He dried his lover’s cheeks with a gentle thumb and buried his face into Sasuke’s shoulder. If Sasuke felt the tears that dampened his t-shirt, he made no comment.

* * *

‘Want to tell me where exactly we’re going?” Sasuke questioned as he helped Hotaru into her yellow onesie adorned with cats and yarn balls. She gurgled, kicking up her legs when he tried to button the leg of the outfit, giggling when the movement caused him to lose his grip on the buttons. She was becoming the perfect little prankster—a trait no doubt she got from Naruto. 

‘It won’t be much of a surprise if I tell you now, will it?’ came Naruto’s voice from the kitchen. He was putting together a basket of things to take along with them. Picnic had been Sasuke’s first guess, but Naruto had also asked him to pack an overnight bag, so he wasn’t sure anymore.

‘Come on, Hotaru,’ Sasuke urged, chuckling when she kicked up her feet again. ‘Tou-chan is taking us out, sweet pea. Let’s not keep him waiting, okay?’

‘Guuuu…’ she said, continuing her dance.

‘Well now…’ Sasuke leant over her, with a mock-put out expression. ‘If you’re going to be difficult, I guess I have no other choice but to do this.’ He pushed his face into her tummy and blew raspberries, making her laugh and squeal.

‘I see you two are just horsing around.’ Naruto came into their bedroom and laughed at the sight of them.

Sasuke lifted his head to roll his eyes at his partner. ‘Maybe you can try dressing her. I seem to be getting nowhere.’ Just then, a sharp tug on his hair made him wince. Hotaru had a tiny fistful of it and was raising it to her mouth.

Naruto reacted instantly. ‘No, princess.’ He gently pried Sasuke’s hair out of her surprisingly strong grip and lifted her into his arms. Sasuke rubbed at the sore spot on his scalp. ‘Hair is not food.’

She made a sound in protest and made grabby hands at Sasuke. But he knew if he took her, she’d only attempt to eat his hair again.

‘Why don’t you get dressed,’ Naruto suggested, bouncing the baby in his arms. ‘I'll finish up with her.’

‘Fine,’ Sasuke agreed. He paused at the doorway and turned back. Naruto placed Hotaru back onto the mattress. ‘At least give me a clue?’

‘No way.’ Naruto shook his head and grinned. ‘You’ll find out when we get there.’

He knew a lost battle when he saw one. With a click of his tongue, Sasuke headed to the bathroom.

∞

The drive was long and because they had an early lunch before heading out, the sun was still high in the sky, beating the summer heat down on them through the windshield. Naruto was driving. And belting out along with the radio, completely off-key. Sasuke would tell him to stop, but Hotaru seemed to like it. Every time Naruto sang _loudly_ and tapped out the rhythm on the steering wheel, it made her giggle.

She was strapped safely into her car seat and taking in the world going by as they sped along the expressway. Kurama’s carrier was buckled in beside her. Sasuke thought she might sleep on the lengthy drive. His mother explained how long car rides make babies sleepy. He had brought along her pillow, too. Just in case. But the only one who was asleep on this ride was Kurama.

Sasuke was tempted to ask once again where they were headed. Naruto had told him the journey would take almost two hours. By that, he gleaned that they were going somewhere out of the city. He realised he was right about this when Naruto turned onto the E11 expressway. And they were heading east, so…beach was a possible option. Konoha was a city surrounded by rolling hills and mountains, so there were no beaches there. But they did have a massive lake and a river that cut through the metropolis.

They had been driving for over an hour when Sasuke noticed Hotaru’s eyes drooping. ‘Hey, turn that off,’ he told Naruto and reached into the backseat to tuck the pillow under her head. The radio volume reduced to background noise.

‘Sleeping?’ Naruto questioned, glancing at her through his rear-view mirror.

Sasuke settled back into his seat and buckled his seatbelt. ‘Out like a light.’ Naruto reached out to take Sasuke’s hand and kissed it. Such a tender gesture, it made Sasuke smile.

‘I guess long car rides do make them sleepy.’

‘Hmm.’

Naruto flashed him a sideways grin. ‘If you’re sleepy, you can nap, too.’

‘I’m not sleepy.’

‘It’s really okay.’

Sasuke scoffed. ‘If I slept, who’d keep you awake.’

‘Hey!’ Naruto protested. ‘I would never fall asleep behind the wheel!’

‘Because I’ve been there to keep you awake,’ he countered with a chuckle. To which Naruto responded by sticking his tongue out at him.

∞

Gently pressure on the corner of his mouth roused him. Sasuke opened his eyes to meet mirthful blue ones just centimetres away. ‘We’re here, babe.’

‘What?’ Sasuke cleared his dry throat. He looked out the window and took in the sights. They were still in the car, which was parked in front of a beautiful chalet. A row of identical chalets flanked theirs to the left and right. They were at the beach; the soothing sound of the waves crashing onto the shore could be heard.

‘We’ve arrived,’ Naruto said to him as he leant back with a smirk. ‘You had a nice nap.’

Suddenly wide awake, Sasuke straightened in his seat. ‘I did not nap.’ He couldn’t believe it! And when he told Naruto he wouldn’t…

Naruto’s smirk only grew. ‘I’m pretty sure I heard you snore a little.’

Affronted, he countered, ‘I _do not_ snore.’

‘Right,’ Naruto laughed. It was harmonised by a baby’s giggle. Sasuke turned to find Hotaru awake now. ‘Because _you_ can hear yourself when you’re asleep.’

‘Hn. If anyone snores, it’s you.’ He unbuckled his seat and got out, immediately moving to the back to get Hotaru out of her seat. While Naruto grabbed Kurama’s carrier and their bags.

The chalet was cosy, with its dark woods and warm lighting. It was a single storey. The front door opened into the living room, furnished with a cane sofa set and a forty-inch TV. To the right was one doorway that led into a decently sized kitchen. To the left was the spacious bedroom with an en suite bathroom, which had no business being as large as the bedroom. Directly opposite the main door was a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass sliding door that led into the deck, complete with a hot tub and direct access to the beach.

‘Naruto…’ Sasuke didn’t know what to think. Hotaru struggled, so he set her down on her feet. She started walking unassisted over two weeks ago and could manage short distances without their help. He turned his head to look at his lover, who was setting Kurama’s carrier on the floor before letting the cat out. He stretched languidly and bounded over to Hotaru. The little girl had her face plastered to the glass, staring at the sea.

Naruto straightened and walked over. The sunlight pouring in through the windows illuminated his striking eyes, turning them to glass. He wrapped his arms around Sasuke’s waist. ‘Happy Birthday.’

‘My birthday was two weeks ago.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘And we already celebrated.’

‘Yeah.’ Naruto nuzzled him behind his ear. Sasuke leant into it. ‘But we haven’t been on a family trip.’ The way he said “family” made Sasuke’s chest swell. ‘And I wanted to make it up to you.’

That was curious. ‘What for?’

‘Well…for not showing you the love you deserve.’

Sasuke was at a loss how to respond. ‘All this—you—didn’t have to…’

‘I know. But I wanted to,’ Naruto said and gave him a tender kiss before moving to where Hotaru was now attempting to open the sliding doors. He held out a hand for her to take; her little fingers wrapped around his pinkie. ‘And Hotaru has never seen the sea, so…’ He slid open the door and the sound of the waves intensified. Looking at Sasuke over his shoulder, he asked, ‘Coming?’

With a nod, Sasuke followed them out. But not before attaching a leash onto Kurama’s harness and guiding him along.

The cat trotted along curiously until they reached the edge of the deck. The texture of the sand didn’t seem to appeal to him because he refused to budge, meowing loudly in protest until Sasuke lifted him into his arms.

‘Fussy,’ Sasuke muttered. Kurama started purring, the sound loud and rumbly beside his ear.

Hotaru, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy the white sand quite a bit. She stopped every few steps to gather sand in her hand and examine it curiously. It made her father laugh.

Naruto stopped when they reached a reasonable distance from the surf and plopped down, patting the sand beside him, and asking his daughter to join.

‘Want to get into the water?’ Naruto asked her just as Sasuke and Kurama reached them. He shucked off his shoes and socks and began to roll up his trousers. ‘Totally should have worn shorts.’ He grinned at Sasuke.

Once he was done, he turned to help his baby out of her shoes, laying the white pair on top of his to avoid sand getting into them.

‘Come on, Sasuke,’ Naruto urged. He stood and took Hotaru’s hand once again, after rolling the legs of her onesie.

‘Uh, I’ll just wait here,’ he replied and sat down next to the discarded shoes. ‘I doubt Kurama will be so willing to get near the water.’ A still purring Kurama happily made himself comfortable in Sasuke’s lap well away from the sand. Sasuke scratched the cat’s chin. ‘You guys go ahead.’

Naruto hesitated for a minute. ‘…Okay.’

Sasuke watched them go, pulling his phone from his pocket to video Hotaru’s reaction to the waves. But doing so meant he had to pull his hands away from the feline in his lap. Kurama made his displeasure known by pawing at Sasuke’s hand, with a low growl.

‘Settle down,’ Sasuke said to him. ‘It’s either this or I take you up there.’

The growl died down and Kurama curled himself, almost disgruntledly, into a ball. His head rested on Sasuke’s knee.

‘You’re a good boy,’ Sasuke praised, feeling a little bad. He stroked the long orange fur and kissed the top of the feline’s head.

Hotaru was as brave and enthusiastic as her father. With a firm grip on her hands, Naruto guided her towards the outermost reaches of the waves, ready to pull her away if she got scared. Sasuke wondered if she would be. He didn’t have to worry. Instead, he watched how Naruto had to hold her back from rushing straight into the water.

Her squeals and giggles could be heard from where Sasuke was seated, and he found himself smiling. He was relieved that she wasn’t afraid and that she seemed to enjoy her first trip to the beach.

‘She is her father’s daughter after all, isn’t she, Kurama?’ said Sasuke. ‘You and I, on the other hand, buddy…’ 

Kurama meowed, although Sasuke wasn’t quite sure of whether it was in agreement or if he was being told to stop talking.

Sasuke took plenty of photos and videos, all of which featured Naruto and his daughter playing on the surf. And some of Kurama and himself.

After about fifteen minutes had passed, Hotaru still showed no signs of tiring or loss of interest in the waves. However, Naruto decided that was enough for her first time. With Naruto carrying Hotaru and Sasuke carrying both of their shoes and Kurama, they made their way back to the chalet.

The three of them spent more time playing on the porch and the sand in front of the house, but Kurama, who had had enough of the outdoors, settled for a nap by the window.

When the sun started to go down, Naruto took Hotaru in for a bath, while Sasuke made the call to the resort to order their dinner.

Dinner was right on time, just as all of them had bathed, and Naruto prepped Hotaru’s food.

‘Maybe we should get a dog,’ remarked Sasuke, watching Hotaru fling some of her mashed peas down to “feed” Kurama. The cat remained disinterested from his place on the carpet under the table. 

‘Stop that, baby girl. Kurama doesn’t like peas,’ Naruto lightly chastised his daughter. ‘Do you _want_ her to feed the dog from the table?’ he addressed Sasuke.

‘Hn. Probably not.’

‘Besides, we can’t do that. Kurama will get jealous.’

‘…He’d get over it.’ Sasuke chewed his food thoughtfully. ‘Yeah…No, best not.’

After dinner, Sasuke took Hotaru to put her to bed, with Kurama leading the way. He was taken aback by how comfortable Kurama was with the change in location. Probably assumed it was just an addition to the kingdom over which he ruled. 

Sasuke was surprised he didn’t have to sing tonight. The excitement earlier in the day had taken its toll and Hotaru was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. 

He left her on the bed with Kurama—who had once again curled up beside her like her guardian—surrounded by pillows and went back to the living room, baby monitor in hand. He found Naruto out on the porch, watching the ocean beat against the sand. Sliding behind him, he wrapped his arms around Naruto’s waist and rested his chin on his boyfriend’s shoulder. Naruto leant back into him at his touch.

‘That was fast,’ observed Naruto.

‘Hm,’ agreed Sasuke. ‘I think she was pretty worn out; she was asleep instantly.’

They stood together for a while in silence; enjoying each other’s company.

‘You know,’ Sasuke spoke after a few minutes had passed, while gently massaging Naruto’s arm. ‘I noticed we got a pretty nice hot tub.’

‘I did, too.’

Sasuke pressed a kiss to Naruto’s temple. ‘Want to take a dip?’

Naruto turned his head towards Sasuke and accepted his kiss.

‘I got us some wine, too.’

‘Sounds perfect.’

∞

Warm kisses pressed to his neck roused him from a comfortable sleep. He frowned and pushed Naruto’s face away. ‘Not now, idiot,’ he grumbled, turning onto his side and away from the other man.

There was a low, husky laugh. ‘Come on, babe,’ his lover urged. The bed dipped and he felt Naruto climb in next to him.

‘It’s too early,’ Sasuke muttered, pressing his face further into the pillow.

‘That’s the whole point.’ The words were whispered into his ear while a hand slipped under his t-shirt to rub his back. ‘Come on.’

Shifting to his previous position, onto his back, he cracked his eyelids open to glare at the other man. ‘Thought you brought me here to show me how much you loved me.’

‘Exactly.’ Naruto kissed his lips. ‘And what says it better than watching the sunrise together?’ He grinned. ‘Come on, love. You won’t regret it.’

Begrudgingly, Sasuke sat up. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. ‘We’ve seen lots of sunrises before.’ Still, he threw the covers off and climbed out of bed.

Hotaru was still fast asleep and Sasuke noticed the pillows placed on Naruto’s side of the bed, bracketing her safely in place. He did the same on his side as well and followed Naruto out of the room.

‘Yeah,’ Naruto laughed. He leant in to kiss Sasuke’s cheek sweetly. ‘But not as a couple.’

He realised it was true and he smiled. ‘Alright, then. Lead the way.’

Naruto took his hand, guiding him through the living room and out onto the deck. There was a blanket laid out in the sand. Naruto led him over to it and sat down, gesturing for Sasuke to do the same.

_Always the romantic_ , Sasuke thought with a shake of his head and settled himself against Naruto’s chest.

They watched the sky start to bleed into the stunning pinks and blues, like watercolour paint staining paper, deepening and changing as the sun came up.

‘Thank you, Naruto,’ Sasuke murmured.

‘Hm?’ Strong arms came around him, fingers tangling with his own. ‘What for?’

‘For bringing me—uh, us…here.’

Naruto’s smile curved against Sasuke’s neck. ‘I’m just glad you like it.’

‘I love it,’ he assured, turning around so he could look into Naruto’s eyes. Eyes that watched him with so much love. Sasuke knew and had always known, he would do anything for him. ‘I love you.’

Watching the curve of Naruto’s smile grow larger, he saw how the feeling of elation mirrored in Naruto. He leant in, just as Naruto did, meeting him halfway as their lips met—just as the sky took on a faint orange hue.

He turned fully, manoeuvring himself so that he was straddling Naruto, using the height to his advantage, and deepening the kiss. It turned messier, wetter. Naruto’s hands slid along Sasuke’s thighs and hips before tucking under his t-shirt. Fingers skirted over his stomach, making him press closer, swallowing the soft moans Naruto made.

Sasuke’s own hands slid over his lover’s shoulders and down to grab the hem of his t-shirt. He grazed his blunt fingernails along the length of Naruto’s body as he guided him out of it.

‘We—We’re—supposed to be,’ Naruto tried to say in between kisses, ‘—watching the sunrise.’

‘We are,’ Sasuke smirked, tossing the discarded garment to the side. He pushed Naruto to lie on his back. ‘In a way.’ He pressed open-mouthed kisses to Naruto’s neck, collar bones, chest…

As he was about to move lower, Naruto pulled him back to eye level. ‘ _Sasuke_ ,’ he hissed, ‘we’re out in the open…’ He gestured around them. ‘Someone could see us.’

Sasuke smirked and kissed the corner of his boyfriend’s mouth. ‘We’ll be fine. No one else is as crazy to be up so early.’ He made to shimmy downward when Naruto stopped him again.

‘They could be up watching the sunrise, too.’

‘Then they’ll be watching the sunrise. Besides,’ he added by grinding his hips into Naruto’s. The pleasure rocked them both; Sasuke had to bite his lip to keep from groaning. He could see that Naruto was in a similar predicament. He gave his lover a pointed look.

The hands holding him in place loosened, and Sasuke hid his smirk in Naruto’s chest.

His lips followed the path of his hands, kissing and nipping down Naruto’s torso, slowly, _slowly_ edging closer to his destination.

‘Sas—’ Naruto grounded out when Sasuke took his time alternating between nipping at Naruto’s belly button and mouthing along his hip bones, ‘it’s bad enough—that we’re—out here…’ He leant up onto his elbows to meet Sasuke’s gaze. ‘ _Don’t_ tease me.’

‘Impatient,’ Sasuke muttered but did as he was told. Naruto’s stomach twitched when Sasuke’s fingers curled into the waistband of his pyjama pants, inching them slowly downwards. He could see Naruto was forcing himself t—

A shrill cry echoed through the chalet, amplified by the baby monitor still in the living room.

The two men paused. They looked at each other.

Naruto groaned, slapping his palms over his eyes, and Sasuke dropped his forehead to his boyfriend’s hip to try and catch his breath.

Hotaru continued to wail.

Naruto squirmed. ‘Sasuke, you’re not helping me—’ Sasuke glanced up at Naruto, who was gesturing to the way he was still hovering over his crotch.

‘Right,’ he said, getting to his feet and dusting the sand off his trousers. ‘You get yourself under control. I’ll go get her.’

In the end, they never did get to watch that sunrise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts and views, as always~


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